53rd Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering
continuing Northumberland’s traditions
17th April to 19th April 2020

Programme of Events

17^th to 19^th April 2020

Fairies, Faas and Folktales!

Festival of traditional music, dance, craft, dialect, heritage and family fun – held the weekend after Easter in Northumberland’s historic county town of Morpeth. Special Fairies, Faas and Folktales events for 2020.

[Faas = Border Gypsies]

All details subject to change, especially during the current health crisis - see noticeboards at the Town Hall and around the town, Facebook or Twitter for any last minute cancellations or alterations.

Ticket prices and door charges:

1^st price waged adult; 2^nd unwaged; any 3^rd price for school-age child; under 5s free.  At some free events donation boxes will be passed around.  There are no weekend tickets except through our advance Patrons Scheme.

Tickets and accommodation Information are available at Morpeth Tourist Information Centre, The Chantry, Bridge Street, Morpeth, NE61 1PD.  Tel: 01670 623455. (Ticket queries 01670 513308)

Tickets and programmes are also available during Gathering weekend at Town Hall Exhibition and other venues.  We regret there is no camping provision within walking distance but please ring for advice.

Gathering Office - all competition, general and administrative queries on the Gathering, our Patrons’ discount scheme, our fellow organisation the Northumbrian Language Society and mail-order details of our CD “Morpeth’s Music”: contact: Kim Bibby-Wilson, Chairman, Westgate House, Dogger Bank, Morpeth, NE61 1RE. Tel.:01670 513308.

Free Park and Ride - vintage buses (Saturday only, 9.00 am to 4.00 pm) will operate between County Hall and the town centre. Thanks to Northumberland County Council and Just the Ticket Bus Preservation.

Car parking – town centre parking is free but requires a £1 disc available from shops and public buildings.

All venues fully accessible except Clock Tower, Castle gatehouse, Tap & Spile.

Car parking – town centre parking is free but requires a £1 disc available from shops and public buildings.

Free park and ride from County Hall Saturday only.

Before the Gathering:

Easter Holiday Family Craft Workshops  Wednesday 8^th April and Wednesday 15^th April:

drop in between 10.30 and 3.00 to make fairy and dragon masks and puppets with artist Elaine Porter

Leisure Centre café - Free (donation for materials)

Friday 17^th April:

During the weekend entertainers will visit local care homes. Look out for shop window displays and costumed characters

9.30 - 5.00 CRAFTS EXHIBITION

with refreshments; craft competition entries (received Thursday 16^th April 5.30 pm - 7 pm) and displays/stalls: needlework, proggy mats, jewellery, clogs. CDs, books, photos, t-shirts on sale

Town Hall - 50p at door/ accompanied under-12s free

10.00 – 4.00 OUTDOOR ENTERTAINERS & HERITAGE CRAFT STALLS

Punch & Judy, Living History with Rent a Peasant, music from The Ran Tanners, heritage activities with Archaeosoup, stories from Jim Grant, costumes with Lesley Bentham, craft demonstrations, etc.  Market Place, Sanderson Arcade – Free

10.00 – 11.00 CIRCLE DANCE WORKSHOP

with Morpeth Circle Dancers

Town Hall - £2/£1

10.30 –4.00 ART CAFÉ

family art activities, paintings, stories.  

Leisure Centre Café - Free (donation for materials)

11.15 – 12.45 CLOG DANCE WORKSHOP

NE Waltz steps with Sue Jenkinson and Lynette Eldon. Bring hard-soled, flat shoes

Town Hall - £2/£1

2.00 OFFICIAL OPENING of the Gathering

by the Mayor of Morpeth, Cllr Alison Byard

Town Hall exhibition

2.00 – 3.00 FRENCH DANCE WORKSHOP

with Suzanne and Alpin McGregor

Town Hall - £2/£1

2.00 – 3.00 JIM ELDON & MOSSY CHRISTIAN

Fiddle duets and songs from the Northern tradition

Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum - £5/£4

3.30 – 4.30  MAYPOLE DANCE WORKSHOP

with Elizabeth Lawson 

Town Hall - £2/£1

3.30 – 4.30 JAMIE ALLAN

Chris Ormston & Matt Seattle on the life & music of legendary Gypsy piper

Bagpipe Museum - £5/£4

4.30 – 5.30 BEDTIME STORIES

with Taffy Thomas MBE. Bring a teddy!

Library - Free

7.30 – 10.00 WERCA’S FOLK AND FRIENDS

Concert for the choir’s 25^th birthday plus launch of Inhouse Poets’ new book Carbon Coast 

Methodist Church - £12/£10/£8 

8.00   MUSICIANS’ SESSION

with Gathering regulars  

Tap & Spile – Free (donations)

Saturday 18^th April:  

9.00 – 4.00 Park & Ride at County Hall

9.30 - 6.00 CRAFTS EXHIBITION

with refreshments; craft competition entries (received Thursday 16^th April 5.30 pm - 7 pm) and displays/stalls: needlework, proggy mats, jewellery, clogs. CDs, books, photos, t-shirts on sale

Town Hall - 50p at door/ accompanied under-12s free

9.45 – 10.30 CHILDREN’S STORIES

 with Jim Grant

 Library – Free

10.00– 4.00 OUTDOOR ENTERTAINERS & STALLS

Punch & Judy, produce & heritage craft stalls, dance teams, Ran Tanners, Ellington Colliery Band, Time Bandits, walkabout characters, etc  

Market Place, Park, Sanderson Arcade – Free

10.00 – 4.00 MORPETH CASTLE OPEN DAY

medieval life and weaponry with Dawn of Chivalry, stories, music. Arranged with Landmark Trust

Morpeth Castle (overlooking the Park) - Free 

10.00 – 4.00 STORYTELLERS' GARDEN

storytellers and music

Old Bakehouse Yard Millennium Green – Free

10.00 – 4.00 LIVING HISTORY

heritage activities with Archaeosoup and Rent a Peasant

William Turner Herb Garden (Park)  Free

10.00 MEET THE NORTHUMBRIAN PIPERS

Drop-in session – hear the “soft-link’d notes” of our local smallpipes

Bagpipe Museum - Free

10.00 - 10.45 CLOG DANCE WORKSHOP

Northumberland and Durham clog style with Anne Walton.  Bring flat hard-soled shoes

Town Hall Ballroom - £2/£1

10.15 RING O’ BELLS

by Morpeth Clock Tower Bellringers

Clock Tower tours from 12 approx  Clock Tower (donations)

10.30 – 3.00 ART CAFÉ

paintings, stories (family art activities 1.00 – 3.00)  

Leisure Centre Café - Free (donation for materials)

11.00  PAGEANT

Border piper, flags, Lord Greystoke’s return from Otterburn, bands, dance teams, giant puppet of piper Jamie Allan, welcomed to Market Place* by the Morpeth Gadgy and civic leaders.

(*If no road closure, event will centre on paved area.

If road closed (10.30-11.45am) from Chantry to Manchester St., traffic will be diverted via Dark Lane/Stanley Terrace/Wellway).

SATURDAY COMPETITIONS

Passport ticket for entrants/audience £2.00/£1.50 includes free entry to Exhibition.  Doors open 30 minutes before times stated below to allow entrants to register.  

12.00 CLOG DANCING Town Hall

1.30   NORTHUMBRIAN PIPES & LOWLAND/ BORDER /HALF-LONG PIPES Chantry Bagpipe Museum

1.30   SPEAKING AND WRITING: dialect, stories, results of pre-judged writing classes (deadline 21^st March for adult classes, children 4^th April) St Robert’s Church Hall

2.00   BANDS, ACCORDIONS, FIDDLES, OTHER INSTRUMENTS, DUETS St. George’s Church (ground floor) 

*3.00  SINGING Town Hall (*note time change from some early publicity)

12.00 MUSICIANS’ SESSION

in memory of Ken Meadows, with Andy Seagroatt, Pete James, Tom Hanson

Tap & Spile - Free (donations)

12.00 - 3.00 SINGAROUND

with Beeswing

Joiners Arms - Free (donations)

12.00 - 1.30 YOUNG MUSICIANS’ SESSION

with Glowan 

Black & Grey Coach House - Free (donations)

12.15 - 1.00 MORPETH WAITES

early music concert  

St George’s Church - £2/£1 at door

1.00 – 3.00 LET’S BEE POTTY

seed-sowing & recycling workshop for families

Old Bakehouse Yard Millennium Green - Free (donations)

1.30 – 3.00  FAMILY SHOW

Folktales of Birds with Taffy Thomas, Amy Leach and Paul Knox; songs with Ashington Male Voice Choir

Methodist Church - £2/£1

3.00 – 3.30 MEDIEVAL COMBAT

Knights’ tournament by Dawn of Chivalry  

Morpeth Castle (overlooking the Park)

4.00 – 5.00 KEEPIN AHAD O WOR TUNG

Northumbrian Language Society on recent dialect activity

St Robert’s Church Hall – Free

4.00 – 5.00 A TALE OF TWO WILLIAMS

Amélie Addison and Stewart Hardy: tunes from the William Vickers manuscript in the life and works of William Shield

Bagpipe Museum - £5/£4

6.30 - 8.30 WINNERS’ CONCERT

Guests Windy Gyle plus 2019 winners

Town Hall Ballroom - £9/£8/£5

7.00 TWILIGHT TALES

with Taffy Thomas MBE and Jim Grant – bring a torch!

Bakehouse Yard Millennium Green - Free

8.00  MUSICIANS’ SESSION

Tap & Spile – Free

8.00 NORTHUMBRIAN PIPERS’ SESSION

with Northumbrian Pipers’ Society members

Riverside Lodge – Free (donations)

8.30 BARN DANCE

with The Hedgehog’s Skin & guests. Bring own drinks; no stilettos!

St George’s Church Hall - £8/£6/£5

Sunday 19^th April:

9.30 - 4.30 CRAFTS EXHIBITION

with refreshments; craft competition entries and displays/stalls: needlework, proggy mats, jewellery, clogs. CDs, books, photos, t-shirts on sale

Town Hall - 50p at door/ accompanied under-12s free

9.30 - 11.00 ORIENTEERING EVENT

(prizes at 12)

Park

10.00 - 3.00  OUTDOOR ENTERTAINERS & STALLS 

Punch & Judy, stories, maypole, heritage crafts  

Market Place, Park, Sanderson Arcade

10.00 – 4.00 MORPETH CASTLE OPEN DAY

medieval combat with Hotspur School of Combat, Tudor life with Time Forgers, stories, music. Arranged with Landmark Trust 

Morpeth Castle (overlooking the Park) - Free 

10.00 – 4.00 LIVING HISTORY

heritage activities with Archaeosoup and Rent a Peasant

William Turner Herb Garden (Park) – Free

10.15 – 11.00 JIM ELDON

Travellers’ Songs and Tunes

Town Hall - £3/£2 (£1 off with 11.30 event ticket)

10.30 – 11.30 CHURCH SERVICE

with Glowan and Taffy Thomas MBE

St George’s UR Church

10.30 – 3.00 ART CAFÉ

family art activities, paintings, stories  

Leisure Centre Café - Free (donation for materials)

11.30 – 12.30

PETE SHEPHEARD

on his work collecting the songs of Gypsy Traveller families

Town Hall - £4/£3 (£1 off with 10.15 event ticket)

12.00 - 2.00   MUSICIANS’ SESSION

Tap & Spile – Free (donations)           

1.00 - 3.00 TOURS OF COUNCIL CHAMBER

and Mayor’s Parlour, civic silver, portraits & artefacts

Town Hall – Free

1.30 - 3.00 FAMILY CONCERT

Glowan, James Tait, stories, 2019 junior winners

Town Hall - £2/£1 at door

2.00-3.00 HANDBELL RINGING WORKSHOP

Clock Tower – donations

3.00 – 3.30 MEDIEVAL COMBAT

re-enactment by Hotspur School of Defence

Morpeth Castle (overlooking the Park)

6.00 NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN

Ian Wilson on his new book 'My Dad’s Army-The White Gurkhas' on 9th Battalion the Border Regiment. A talk reflecting the People’s Army that fought and died in Burma in WW2 

Town Hall – (Books to purchase at £18) Free

7.30 THE ELSIE MONOLOGUES

One-woman show by actress Pat Dunn (from TV’s Hebburn, Vera, Coronation Street). Written by Tom Kelly. Elsie is a sweet little old lady – with a secret!

Town Hall - £5/£4    

Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering Committee is a standing committee of Morpeth Antiquarian Society (Reg. Charity No. 507640) and a member of the Association of Festival Organisers. MNGC reserves the right to alter programme details.

Morpeth Gathering is aided by individuals and organisations including in recent years: Anonymous, Friends of Morpeth Museum, Greater Morpeth Development Trust, FH Hardy, Landmark Trust, Longhorsley Parish Council, Morpeth Antiquarian Society, Morpeth Art Group, Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum, Morpeth Clock Tower Bellringers, Morpeth Lions, MorpethNet, Morpeth Rotary Club, Morpeth Town Council, Morrisons, Museums Northumberland, Northumberland and Tyneside Orienteering, Northumberland County Council, Northumbrian Language Society, Northumbrian Pipers’ Society, Old Bakehouse Millennium Green Trust, Pegswood Parish Council, P & F Rescigno, Stait Photography, R Stewart, A Swailes, A Tebbutt, H Trueman, J A Turnbull, Tyneside Fiddle Alliance, Ulgham Parish Council.

A list of plaque patrons and others will be displayed in the Crafts Exhibition.