Simon Says....

[Andy Leonard]

PLEASE EVERYONE …

Buy your tix this year so that we can all be there again next year!

The thought of losing Cropredy is horrifying!!

😥😥😥

Hi Jenny , at the risk of sounding like a Trump supporter MCGA , ( make Cropredy great again!) there have been some very interesting comments on here re people’s feelings about Cropredy.
We all have our fave times for different reasons.
I had a big gap between early 80’s and mid 90s .
95, I had met Sheena and we did our first Cropredy together, in the awning of a friends caravan ! Caravan field!
96 , we were sitting in a local pub , our backs to a couple and I heard the words Fairport. I turned round and we chatted music for 1.5 hours . They became very firm friends. From then on we were part of 18 people ( it varied) who travelled in convoy from S Leics to field 2. Special times. Friendships . 2 day fest so Thurs was spent in the village. Trad lunchtime pint on the  gravestones by Red Lion , quiz from the Canal club . Camped in a circle in field 2 , gazebos, village hall tables, candelabra, white picket fence , gnomes!
People were kidnapped and forced to drink wine if they invaded our space, some stayed for hours!!!!!!
These were the days when the fest was stewarded by volunteers ……you could wander on and off main field before it opened. I stood with 30 others watching RT sound check whilst he asked what we wanted to hear……30 mins of Vincent , Beeswing  etc.
So of course the fest changed when Peggy and Christine split, when it became a 3 day fest, when pro security  arrived and when the Thurs night headliner became more important than Fairports. We went cos it was Fairports Fest.
Yes of course I’m an old f**t , wallowing in nostalgia but they were halcyon days. Many of those friends have gone, aged, moved, died.Travelling and being with those friends, listening to music, some new to me, were special times. I thought Cropredy would always be important but as has been said, people, tastes and fests change.
My Cropredy went a long time ago. 2012 ,Sheena didn’t want to sit in seried ranks , we had lost friends , other fests called. Lamar Tree, Folk in a Field, Ely, NFFF, Langdale, Festiva on  the Edge, Warwick, camebridge, Magpies……. I came to Cropredy  on my own for a few years .camped opposite Bridge stores. Made new friends….
I saw Fairports tour last yr when Mattacks had put them on good form …
So, I hope it happens. I hope you have a wonderful time.
With real affection for the past and the fest…

Just a quick comment on the fact that the festival used to have volunteers and now there’s professional security. Firstly the festival was so much smaller so getting the required amount of volunteers was relatively easy. Secondly and more importantly, as the festival grew thieves from Banbury used to steal from the campsites when everyone was in the concert field. Therefore to stop this happening professional security were hired which stopped the problem immediately. Now all fields are manned and you have to show your wristband to enter a camping field. Having said that my experience with the professional security men and women has been great. Everyone has been friendly and liked a laugh and a joke. I hope that clears up why it’s professional security that are now employed.  

[hendo (Dave)]

A very special yr ……and we were all missing Maart!
http://fclist.org/cropredy-cropredy-line-ups/cropredy-1997

[hendo (Dave)]

PLEASE EVERYONE …

Buy your tix this year so that we can all be there again next year!

The thought of losing Cropredy is horrifying!!

😥😥😥

Hi Jenny , at the risk of sounding like a Trump supporter MCGA , ( make Cropredy great again!) there have been some very interesting comments on here re people’s feelings about Cropredy.
We all have our fave times for different reasons.
I had a big gap between early 80’s and mid 90s .
95, I had met Sheena and we did our first Cropredy together, in the awning of a friends caravan ! Caravan field!
96 , we were sitting in a local pub , our backs to a couple and I heard the words Fairport. I turned round and we chatted music for 1.5 hours . They became very firm friends. From then on we were part of 18 people ( it varied) who travelled in convoy from S Leics to field 2. Special times. Friendships . 2 day fest so Thurs was spent in the village. Trad lunchtime pint on the  gravestones by Red Lion , quiz from the Canal club . Camped in a circle in field 2 , gazebos, village hall tables, candelabra, white picket fence , gnomes!
People were kidnapped and forced to drink wine if they invaded our space, some stayed for hours!!!!!!
These were the days when the fest was stewarded by volunteers ……you could wander on and off main field before it opened. I stood with 30 others watching RT sound check whilst he asked what we wanted to hear……30 mins of Vincent , Beeswing  etc.
So of course the fest changed when Peggy and Christine split, when it became a 3 day fest, when pro security  arrived and when the Thurs night headliner became more important than Fairports. We went cos it was Fairports Fest.
Yes of course I’m an old f**t , wallowing in nostalgia but they were halcyon days. Many of those friends have gone, aged, moved, died.Travelling and being with those friends, listening to music, some new to me, were special times. I thought Cropredy would always be important but as has been said, people, tastes and fests change.
My Cropredy went a long time ago. 2012 ,Sheena didn’t want to sit in seried ranks , we had lost friends , other fests called. Lamar Tree, Folk in a Field, Ely, NFFF, Langdale, Festiva on  the Edge, Warwick, camebridge, Magpies……. I came to Cropredy  on my own for a few years .camped opposite Bridge stores. Made new friends….
I saw Fairports tour last yr when Mattacks had put them on good form …
So, I hope it happens. I hope you have a wonderful time.
With real affection for the past and the fest…

Just a quick comment on the fact that the festival used to have volunteers and now there’s professional security. Firstly the festival was so much smaller so getting the required amount of volunteers was relatively easy. Secondly and more importantly, as the festival grew thieves from Banbury used to steal from the campsites when everyone was in the concert field. Therefore to stop this happening professional security were hired which stopped the problem immediately. Now all fields are manned and you have to show your wristband to enter a camping field. Having said that my experience with the professional security men and women has been great. Everyone has been friendly and liked a laugh and a joke. I hope that clears up why it’s professional security that are now employed.  

No probs. I completely understand why pro security happened, I was simply listing changes, As you said the fest grew, it changed, my point really….Sadly our initial interactions with security were not as tempered as yours were.
In tge ensuing yrs, when the security realised the nature of the fest it did stop being bouncers at a night club and became more relaxed.

[davidmjs]

PLEASE EVERYONE …

Buy your tix this year so that we can all be there again next year!

The thought of losing Cropredy is horrifying!!

😥😥😥

Hi Jenny , at the risk of sounding like a Trump supporter MCGA , ( make Cropredy great again!) there have been some very interesting comments on here re people’s feelings about Cropredy.
We all have our fave times for different reasons.
I had a big gap between early 80’s and mid 90s .
95, I had met Sheena and we did our first Cropredy together, in the awning of a friends caravan ! Caravan field!
96 , we were sitting in a local pub , our backs to a couple and I heard the words Fairport. I turned round and we chatted music for 1.5 hours . They became very firm friends. From then on we were part of 18 people ( it varied) who travelled in convoy from S Leics to field 2. Special times. Friendships . 2 day fest so Thurs was spent in the village. Trad lunchtime pint on the  gravestones by Red Lion , quiz from the Canal club . Camped in a circle in field 2 , gazebos, village hall tables, candelabra, white picket fence , gnomes!
People were kidnapped and forced to drink wine if they invaded our space, some stayed for hours!!!!!!
These were the days when the fest was stewarded by volunteers ……you could wander on and off main field before it opened. I stood with 30 others watching RT sound check whilst he asked what we wanted to hear……30 mins of Vincent , Beeswing  etc.
So of course the fest changed when Peggy and Christine split, when it became a 3 day fest, when pro security  arrived and when the Thurs night headliner became more important than Fairports. We went cos it was Fairports Fest.
Yes of course I’m an old f**t , wallowing in nostalgia but they were halcyon days. Many of those friends have gone, aged, moved, died.Travelling and being with those friends, listening to music, some new to me, were special times. I thought Cropredy would always be important but as has been said, people, tastes and fests change.
My Cropredy went a long time ago. 2012 ,Sheena didn’t want to sit in seried ranks , we had lost friends , other fests called. Lamar Tree, Folk in a Field, Ely, NFFF, Langdale, Festiva on  the Edge, Warwick, camebridge, Magpies……. I came to Cropredy  on my own for a few years .camped opposite Bridge stores. Made new friends….
I saw Fairports tour last yr when Mattacks had put them on good form …
So, I hope it happens. I hope you have a wonderful time.
With real affection for the past and the fest…

Just a quick comment on the fact that the festival used to have volunteers and now there’s professional security. Firstly the festival was so much smaller so getting the required amount of volunteers was relatively easy. Secondly and more importantly, as the festival grew thieves from Banbury used to steal from the campsites when everyone was in the concert field. Therefore to stop this happening professional security were hired which stopped the problem immediately. Now all fields are manned and you have to show your wristband to enter a camping field. Having said that my experience with the professional security men and women has been great. Everyone has been friendly and liked a laugh and a joke. I hope that clears up why it’s professional security that are now employed.  

I'm not sure it was so much smaller was it?  It's been roughly the same size since '87, hasn't it (and certainly since before Chris stopped being involved)?

[davidmjs]

Btw, I've been thinking about the Special Guest thing and FWIW I reckon it is 'just' Richard, and the reason it hasn't been advertised is because of wanting to maximise the footfall for his tour.  Once that's done and dusted it will be announced (to very little fanfare).

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

Thanks Hendo.

We all have our reasons for going or not.
I just love it and (apart from the covid years) haven’t missed a year since 1990.

It is very special for me and I really hope this year won’t be the last.

No need for me to say anything more really is there?

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Btw, I've been thinking about the Special Guest thing and FWIW I reckon it is 'just' Richard, and the reason it hasn't been advertised is because of wanting to maximise the footfall for his tour.  Once that's done and dusted it will be announced (to very little fanfare).

I was thinking this ( without the ‘just’ ) because there was clear publicity for Cropredy around the merch stall at his recent gigs, with a banner, flyers and bookmarks. ( Course, Dave Mattacks might have something to do with that as well).

RT is great, but may not necessarily swing it especially for people having seen him on tour …not that he wasn’t brilliant on tour, he was….but that many fans will have seen him in their local areas already.

[Andy Leonard]

Btw, I've been thinking about the Special Guest thing and FWIW I reckon it is 'just' Richard, and the reason it hasn't been advertised is because of wanting to maximise the footfall for his tour.  Once that's done and dusted it will be announced (to very little fanfare).

I was thinking this ( without the ‘just’ ) because there was clear publicity for Cropredy around the merch stall at his recent gigs, with a banner, flyers and bookmarks. ( Course, Dave Mattacks might have something to do with that as well).

RT is great, but may not necessarily swing it especially for people having seen him on tour …not that he wasn’t brilliant on tour, he was….but that many fans will have seen him in their local areas already.

Interesting thought but if that is the case why hasn’t he been advertised as appearing like every other time he’s appeared. Surely it would make sense to announce him hoping to sell more tickets. Mind you you could use the same argument if the special guest was Paul McCartney!! I have no evidence whatsoever but I do think it’s somebody big who maybe for contractual reasons he/she cannot be announced  My guess and trust me it is a guess, is it’s one of three. James Taylor, Cat Stevens/Yousef or Roger Daltrey. Please don’t ask me why, I haven’t a clue!!😁😁. I just think it has to be someone big because otherwise why say it’s a surprise very special guest. RT to my mind wouldn’t be classed as a surprise very special guest because he’s appeared so often in the past. In a couple of months we’ll find out I guess!!

[davidmjs]

Btw, I've been thinking about the Special Guest thing and FWIW I reckon it is 'just' Richard, and the reason it hasn't been advertised is because of wanting to maximise the footfall for his tour.  Once that's done and dusted it will be announced (to very little fanfare).

I was thinking this ( without the ‘just’ ) because there was clear publicity for Cropredy around the merch stall at his recent gigs, with a banner, flyers and bookmarks. ( Course, Dave Mattacks might have something to do with that as well).

RT is great, but may not necessarily swing it especially for people having seen him on tour …not that he wasn’t brilliant on tour, he was….but that many fans will have seen him in their local areas already.

Interesting thought but if that is the case why hasn’t he been advertised as appearing like every other time he’s appeared. Surely it would make sense to announce him hoping to sell more tickets. Mind you you could use the same argument if the special guest was Paul McCartney!! I have no evidence whatsoever but I do think it’s somebody big who maybe for contractual reasons he/she cannot be announced  My guess and trust me it is a guess, is it’s one of three. James Taylor, Cat Stevens/Yousef or Roger Daltrey. Please don’t ask me why, I haven’t a clue!!😁😁. I just think it has to be someone big because otherwise why say it’s a surprise very special guest. RT to my mind wouldn’t be classed as a surprise very special guest because he’s appeared so often in the past. In a couple of months we’ll find out I guess!!

That's exactly what I've been saying until very recently - he's never been a special guest before, he's always been billed.  But times are different now and maximising his own money making (which he's certainly been doing with his own ticket prices post-Covid) may have been higher up the requirement list than in previous years?

And given the very real and obvious problems with ticket sales this year, if it was one of those three, it makes literally no sense not to mention that fact in order to aid sales (although I do wonder how many Yusuf would actually add to the sales in any case)

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Btw, I've been thinking about the Special Guest thing and FWIW I reckon it is 'just' Richard, and the reason it hasn't been advertised is because of wanting to maximise the footfall for his tour.  Once that's done and dusted it will be announced (to very little fanfare).

I was thinking this ( without the ‘just’ ) because there was clear publicity for Cropredy around the merch stall at his recent gigs, with a banner, flyers and bookmarks. ( Course, Dave Mattacks might have something to do with that as well).

RT is great, but may not necessarily swing it especially for people having seen him on tour …not that he wasn’t brilliant on tour, he was….but that many fans will have seen him in their local areas already.

Interesting thought but if that is the case why hasn’t he been advertised as appearing like every other time he’s appeared. Surely it would make sense to announce him hoping to sell more tickets. Mind you you could use the same argument if the special guest was Paul McCartney!! I have no evidence whatsoever but I do think it’s somebody big who maybe for contractual reasons he/she cannot be announced  My guess and trust me it is a guess, is it’s one of three. James Taylor, Cat Stevens/Yousef or Roger Daltrey. Please don’t ask me why, I haven’t a clue!!😁😁. I just think it has to be someone big because otherwise why say it’s a surprise very special guest. RT to my mind wouldn’t be classed as a surprise very special guest because he’s appeared so often in the past. In a couple of months we’ll find out I guess!!

That's exactly what I've been saying until very recently - he's never been a special guest before, he's always been billed.  But times are different now and maximising his own money making (which he's certainly been doing with his own ticket prices post-Covid) may have been higher up the requirement list than in previous years?

And given the very real and obvious problems with ticket sales this year, if it was one of those three, it makes literally no sense not to mention that fact in order to aid sales (although I do wonder how many Yusuf would actually add to the sales in any case)

Having seen Yusuf’s set at Glastonbury on TV last year, he might attract more people…it was totally different from the set he played at Cropredy previously and catered for fans of his past and present music, it was beautiful.