festival

Robin Ince and Pierre Novellie at BradfordLitFest

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Pierre Novellie (left) and Robin Ince (right) taking part in a discussion about Thinking Differently and Laughing Loudly at Bradford Literature Festival

A couple of Sundays before, we went to see Robin Ince and Pierre Novellie at the final day of the Bradford Literature Festival. They’re both stand-up comedians, who, as adults, have received ADHD (Ince) and Autism (Novellie) diagnoses, and written books about them. The event, entitled Thinking Differently and Laughing Loudly, had Ince and Novellie talk about their experiences both pre- and post-diagnosis, and their books.

The Bradford Literature Festival has been going for a few years now, and – full disclosure – my employer, the University of Bradford, has been one its major funders from day one. Indeed, this event took place in the university’s Great Hall, which, combined with an Open Day the day before, meant I spent quite a bit of my weekend at work in some capacity. Ashamedly, this was the first event I had attended, although I put this mainly down to issues arranging childcare in previous years. This event was in the late afternoon, and so we dragged our nine-year-old along along with their iPad and headphones.

The following paragraphs include sponsored links to Amazon for the books mentioned.

A photo of two books, 'Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal' by Robin Ince and 'Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things'

Robin Ince – Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal

I’ve seen Robin Ince a few times before. These include a couple of ‘Uncaged Monkeys’ events in 2011, which was sort-of a live show for nerds as a spin-off of the Infinite Monkey Cage show that he co-hosts with Professor Brian Cox on BBC Radio 4. We also saw his ‘Bad Book Club’ show in Hebden Bridge, again in 2011, and we’ve seen him at a couple of shows in Leeds and in Huddersfield. Finding out that Ince has ADHD was not much of a surprise – his comedy sets would often go off and tangents and he would frequently go over time.

Robin Ince has written quite a few books now, and I’ve read Bad Book Club (related to the aforementioned show), I’m A Comedian And So Are You (one of my books of the year for 2019) and The Importance of Being Interested. His latest is Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal, published in May, and this was the book he was here to promote. I haven’t read it yet, but we picked up a signed copy and I also have the audiobook to accompany us on our upcoming holiday. We also had a couple of Robin’s other books signed, including Bibilomaniac, which I haven’t yet read.

Pierre Novellie – Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things

I haven’t seen Pierre Novellie before, but I follow him on social media as he’s popped up on a few podcasts that I listen to. Pierre was born in South Africa, moved to the Isle of Man in childhood and then went to Cambridge for university. He was diagnosed as being autistic in his thirties, and in the discussions on stage, he said he’d realised that autistic observations made up much of his comedy even before he was aware.

His book is called Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things? and, if I remember correctly, Novellie self-published it before it was picked up by a publisher and released in paperback in May. I picked up the Kindle edition when it was on offer, and had started reading it on the plane on the way back from Greece. It’s very good; it’s funny, but it also makes you think. I’ve not finished it yet – probably a combination of being busy and my undiagnosed ADHD – but we picked up the paperback to have that signed as well. I mean, I could have asked Novellie to sign the iPad that I’m reading it on, but I’m looking at replacing it later this year.

As for the Bradford Literature Festival, it’ll be back next year. It’s a really good festival, with a huge range of activities and a real commitment to diversity.

Sci-Fi Weekender XVI

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A photo of Peter Davison being interviewed on stage at Sci-Fi Weekender 15

By the time you’re able to read this, Christine and I will be beginning our second day at Sci-Fi Weekender in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. This is the seventh consecutive SFW event that we’ve been to, and we’ve always enjoyed it.

I wrote more about why we go and the history of SFW last year, so have a read of that if you’re interested. This year, the biggest guest is Paul McGann, continuing the theme of actors who have played The Doctor in Doctor Who (Peter Davison was there last year). Noah Hathaway, from The Never-Ending Story, will also be there along with two actors from Star Trek with whom I’m not familiar with. There’s also a welcome return for John Robertson and his show The Dark Room, who was absent last year.

This year will be different; it’ll be the first full SFW that we’ve been to where there’s no Professor Elemental, and it won’t be compered by Adam Washington, again for the first time in many years. But then there have been changes every year as the event changes and evolves.

A photo of Neil being molested by Orcs

We’ll be driving down again, and as with last year we’re offering friends a lift down so we’ll have a full car. It’s a rather long drive from West Yorkshire, mainly due to the A17 which we use to cut across Lincolnshire. It’s not a particularly fast nor scenic road, passing across mainly flat agricultural land. We call it the Sto Plains.

As for whether we decide to do cosplay this year – probably not. I’ll probably take my Steampunk gear but we don’t have any specific plans. In previous years, Christine has been Sadness from Inside Out, and a Feegle Kelda from Discworld. I think she just likes making herself blue.

Bookings are already open for next year’s event. At present, we’re still deciding whether to go. If we do, we’ll need to book our annual leave early, as it coincides with Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan.

Sci-Fi Weekender XV

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A photo of a panel interview at a previous Sci-Fi Weekender in Great Yarmouth.

If you’re reading this blog post today or tomorrow, then I’ll be at Sci-Fi Weekender XV in Great Yarmouth, along with Christine and a large group of friends. As usual, I’m writing this in advance on a very old and wet Sunday – perfect blogging weather.

This is our seventh Sci-Fi Weekender event; the first one we went to was SFW 9 in 2018, near Pwlheli in North Wales. Our child was only two at the time so we went as a family, although that meant missing out on the evening activities, including John Robertson’s The Dark Room. It took us a while to work out why everyone was calling each other Darren and why there were so many pineapples everywhere.

Sci-Fi Weekender has moved around a bit over the years. The first event was in Pontins in Camber Sands on the south coast of England, but it had spent a few years in Wales before our first visit. SFW X (part I) was in Sheffield city centre, after changes to the site in Wales meant it could no longer be held there, and it’s been at the Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth since 2019 (SFW X part II). We’ve been to all of them since 2018, although after our first time we’ve had childcare in place. Not least because it’s a Thursday-Friday-Saturday event and it’s not a valid excuse for taking a child of school on the Friday.

Neil and Christine with Brian Blessed at Sci-Fi Weekender XIII

What is Sci-Fi Weekender?

Sci-Fi Weekender is perhaps best described as a residential science fiction and fantasy festival (or ‘Space Butlins’, if you will). It’s not a comic-con (like Thought Bubble, which we went to in 2014 and 2015), and there are usually only a handful of stalls. The main focus is entertainment, cosplay and interviews with actors and celebrities. It doesn’t tend to get many big names, although Peter Davidson (the fifth Doctor, and father-in-law to David Tennant) is the top-billed name this time. Previous SFW events have included Brian Blessed and Nina Wadia.

It tends to take place in holiday parks (the Sheffield years excepted) so that the majority of attendees can stay on site, and it also gives it a more intimate feel. Many guests stay the whole weekend, and some even mingle with attendees. Professor Elemental, who we’ve now seen seven times (eight if you include this weekend) always performs and usually gets involved in hosting a panel. We’re also looking to Madam Misfit‘s third visit.

Whilst the Vauxhall Holiday Park at Great Yarmouth is good, it’s a bit of a trek from Yorkshire. It’s roughly a four hour drive, and about the same by train but with three changes from Sowerby Bridge. We’re driving down as we’re offering a lift to some friends who are also going.

Also, don’t ask about the numbering. SFW X was delivered as two events, and then XI and XII didn’t happen because of you know what.

Rushbearing in Sowerby Bridge

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Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing 2012

This weekend, like every first weekend in September, is the annual Rushbearing festival in my adopted home town of Sowerby Bridge. It’s a modern revival of a tradition which originally saw freshly harvested rushes being delivered to churches in the area to cover the floors. Although it died out in the 19th century, it was revived in 1977 to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. 35 years later, in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year, it is still going.

The modern event takes place over two days – the Saturday and Sunday of the first weekend in September. It involves local men pulling a one (imperial) ton cart around the town to deliver a token rush to each of the town’s churches. The cart also calls at most of the town’s pubs, of which there are a lot – 14 just in the town centre itself. Essentially, this makes the rushbearing a large and very glorified pub crawl, and indeed many of the participants carry a tankard. In fact, there are even several tankards attached to the cart itself.

The same cart is used every year, and this one was built in 1984. A ‘cart maiden’, usually an 18-year-old girl, sits atop the cart and waves at people. Behind the cart is usually a marching brass band and several traditional British dancing groups – usually Morris Dancers, but in various different forms.

Last year we missed the Rushbearing as it was the same weekend as Bingley Music Live. But with the somewhat lacklustre line-up, increased ticket prices, and the need to save money for our forthcoming nuptials, we decided not to go this year. This gave us chance to experience a rather different festival closer to home. Although I’m sure the nice weather helped, it was well-attended with many people turning out to line the streets, and patronise the various drinking establishments that the cart called at en route.

Modern-day rushbearing isn’t unique to Sowerby Bridge and it does take place at other northern towns and villages, although these are all in Greater Manchester, Lancashire or Cumbria; Sowerby Bridge is the only Yorkshire town to retain this custom. For a town that is home to yuppie commuters like ourselves, it’s nice to see it keeping in touch with some traditions.

There’s more about the tradition of rushbearing on Wikipedia, and a more detailed history of Sowerby Bridge’s festival on the official web site. And you can view my photos of the event on Flickr.

Bingley Music Live 2011

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Jon Fratelli

Having enjoyed it last year, when we heard that acts such as Feeder and Eliza Doolittle would be playing Bingley Music Live Christine and I snapped up tickets a few months back. The festival was last weekend and, like last year, we had a good time. Though the price of a weekend ticket has gone up by a fiver, there were some bigger acts this year, as well as a smaller, second stage designed around kids and families. Also changed from last year were the toilets; thankfully, the toilet area hadn’t turned into a smelly quagmire by Sunday unlike in 2010. Unchanged were the astronomical drinks prices but I guess that’s par for the course for most festivals.

This was also the first time we went to all three days – last year we skipped the free Friday night events but we made it this year to see the Young Guns. Sadly they’d arrived late and their set was cut to 20 minutes; plus, there appeared to be some technical problems making them sound very flat. A shame because they’re one of my favourite up and coming bands.

I won’t do a full review as my friend Phil has done a much better job at his blog .wav Goodbye – read his reviews of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some of the sets from the likes of Feeder, Athlete and Eliza Doolittle were excellent, and worth the ticket price on their own merits – seeing the other acts just added to the value.

As it sold out a few weeks ago (the first time it’s sold out in advance in the five years it’s been running), plans are already afoot for 2012 and tickets went on sale today. I think we’ll wait to see which acts are confirmed first though – whilst the line-up has been good these past few years, I’m not willing to gamble £40. Even if the tickets being sold now are ‘limited edition’ – whatever that implies.

Hopefully next year we’ll be able to make some other festivals – Sonisphere in particular could be good if the right bands are playing. We’ll see.

Bingley Music Live 2010

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Reef

Yesterday Christine and I went to our first proper music festival: Bingley Music Live. It’s certainly not one of the biggest festivals, with only 15,000 tickets available, and it doesn’t draw many big names. The main acts this year were mostly bands that were at the peak of popularity some years ago, namely The Buzzcocks, Public Image Ltd., Reef and James.

Bingley Music Live is in its fourth year and is organised by Bradford Council with no corporate sponsorship. Despite this, tickets are only £30 for the full weekend, and the Friday event has free entry as well. The small size of the festival means there’s only one stage, and there’s no campsite, but then I think most people who go live locally.

I’ll be going back today for the Sunday bands, although this time I’ll be bringing more of my own drinks. £2 for a small bottle of cola is frankly scandalous.