20th, 21st and 22nd October 2006

The fourth annual Beer & Music Festival will be held on the above dates.

The 2006 event is shaping up to be bigger and better than last year! There will be three real ale bars conveyed on trains during the Saturday and Sunday. The Oxenhope Exhibition Centre will be transformed into the huge carpeted and heated Festival Bar, and live music will be performed at selected times throughout the festival. In addition Morris and folk dance sides will be travelling around the railway (Saturday and Sunday Afternoon), and there will be acoustic music on the train on Saturday afternoon.

Steam and Diesel Trains will run during all opening times (see below), and a series of free connecting bus services will also operate.

Festival Opening Times

Friday 20th October - 1500 to 2300

Saturday 21st October - 1100 to 2300

Sunday 22nd October - 1200 to 1800

Entry to the Main Festival Hall is free upon production of a valid KWVR train ticket (priced £2 or above), or is £2 to those not travelling by train. Those persons travelling on reduced price train tickets, priced below £2 will be required to pay the difference on the door.

For full details of train times and fares see below.

Beer Glasses

We can sell you a Worth Valley souvenir festival glass (£1.50 half pint, £2.50 pint non-refundable), or you can hire an ordinary glass (£1 fully refundable on return of undamaged glass) or you can bring your own government stamped glass from another beer festival, or we can serve you in plastic.

Beer Tokens

The festival bar will deal in tokens, one token per half pint / two tokens per pint but with an extra 10p per half / 20p per pint for beers 5.0% ABV. Bottles are £2.50 unless otherwise marked. Tokens are £1 each and are available singularly or on cards of 10 to save queuing and to save change. Please note that tokens are non-refundable so please don’t buy more than you need.  The on train bars will deal in cash and tokens. Soft drinks and hot drinks will be the usual Worth Valley prices.

Performers in Oxenhope Exhibition Shed

Friday Evening – from 8pm – Mal Webb’s Famous ‘New Orleans’ Jazz Band

Mal Web has been playing jazz for 50 years.  The New Orleans Band began playing Monday night sessions in Bingley 40 years ago, and the band claim over 250 years of experience between them.  The New Orleans bit refers to the style of music played.

Saturday Afternoon – 1pm until 3pm – A Touch of Irish

Regulars at the Cricketers in Keighley may have heard the Irish Nite.

A Touch of Irish draws on the same musicians as Irish Nite.  They will perform a variety of songs and Irish tunes.

Saturday Afternoon - 5pm until 7pm  - Guitarbillies and 'Sarah & Therese'

Three performers from Leeds spotted at the Cricketers in Keighley.  They are something of a contrast to A Touch of Irish and to Dr Busker making for a varied afternoon.

Saturday Evening – from 8pm – ‘Dr Busker and the Dorset Rats’

Dr. Busker continues Victorian Pub Pianist tradition with his wide repertoire of songs to suit all tastes, accompanied with great skill on piano-forte and squeezebox.   His act will include post-watershed material as the evening progresses.  He may also be around during Saturday afternoon, playing squeezebox ‘for all the family’ in the Jubilee Bar.

Sunday Afternoon – mid afternoon – Worth Valley Members

John Adams, escapes from the working cloths and overalls that he is normally seen around the railway in and picks up his violin.  He will be joined by his friend Joan on vocals.  Other members may also do a tune or two but this has not been confirmed at time of going to press.

The Beer List

For a full list of beers, ciders and other drinks which will be available at the festival, please click HERE.

This list is correct at Sunday 15th October, however this may be subject to last minute change depending upon the deliveries actually made by the breweries.

Musicians and Folk Dance Sides around the Railway

At the time of going to press, the following folk dance sides are hoping to attend: Hebden Bridge Millies, Flagcrackers of Craven, Terpsichore, Spen Valley Longsword Dancers, Brittania Coconut Dancers, Rainbow Morris, White Rose Morris.  We are expecting more sides on Sunday than Saturday.

According to William Prynne, one of history’s Puritans, “Dancing serves no necessary use, no profitable, laudable or pious end at all.  It is use only for the inbred pravity, vanity, wantonness, incontinency, pride, profanous or madness of men’s depraved natures.  Therefore it must needs be unlawful unto Christians”,  and so he goes on.  Some of us have other ideas:

Flag Crackers of Craven
The Flag Crackers of Craven are a mixed Border side based in Skipton, North Yorkshire.  In English folk dances ‘Border’ refers to the borders of England and Wales.  Flag Crackers of Craven use traditional and contemporary border dances with single stepping.  The dancers black up and wear clogs and colourful rag jackets.  They have danced in locations from Eire to Belgium, from Orkney to Kent.
The band is "a dangerous blend of enthusiasm, near-accuracy, and anarchy." Some are classically trained! - all are welcome to join and play according to their ability.  The size of the band varies and has included up to 15musicians on occasions.  The tunes are mainly traditional morris and folk tunes, with some modern tunes in traditional style composed by our lead melodeon player. The arrangements may not satisfy a purist, but we have fun!

Terpsichore
The side described themselves as a ladies side based on traditional North West dances…  but they do some dances of their own in memory of former member s of the side.  Tersichore have been going for25 years and will be seen in red dresses with green trim and straw boaters.

Hebden Bridge Millies
A new all ladies side, who have only been dancing together for just over a year.  As they’ve only been dancing together for a year I haven’t found much to say about them. What I do know is that the Hebden Bridge Millies dance to the Cotswold style and wear black trousers with maroon waistcoats.

Britannia Coconut Dancers
The ‘Nutters’ from Brittania, Bacup.  The folk dances they perform are supposed to have originated with moorish pirates (hence the costume). Some of these sailors are said to have settled in Cornwall and become employed in local mining.  As mines and quarries opened in Lancashire in the 18th & 19th century a few Cornishmen came North bringing with them mining expertise.  It is with these people that the dances were reputedly brought to this area. and the custom of blackened faces may reflect a pagan or medieval background which was done to disguise the dancers from being recognised by evil spirits afterwards, it may also reflect mining connections.   Seven Dances are performed in total. Five Garland Dances, simply known as Nos' 1 to 5 and two Nut Dances 'Thowd Cash' and the 'Figures'.
The 'Nutters' have travelled far and wide, appearing several times at the Royal Albert Hall for the English Folk Dance and Song Society. They have attended the International Eisteddfod on four occasions and visited many towns throughout the country.

Rainbow Morris
Rainbow Morris dance in the North West tradition.  The dances are named after North West mill towns such as Blackburn and Shawforth.  The side wears clogs and colourful outfits - blue skirts and waistcoats, red tights, black clogs, white blouses and decorated straw hats.  The side is always on the look out for new dancers and musicians (accordion, melodeon, fiddle).

Spen Valley Longsword
Sword dancing was once a common activity in the villages of Northern England.   Although the tradition lives on in various parts of Britain and Europe, it seems to have found its home in three regions of Yorkshire.  Sword dancing is still performed in Sheffield, the Vale of York and the Whitby area of North East Yorkshire.  Spen Valley Longsword has focused on two dances in recent years.  The North Skelton Dance, from a village North of Whitby and the Helmsley Dance, from the Vale of York.

John Rowland and Friends

An informal acoustic set on the 'Bar 1' train starting at about 1.30pm on Sunday.  The group normally play at the Turkey Inn, Goose Eye on the first Sunday of each month.  Their session varies depending on who is available.  Our thanks to John for stepping in when Alan Rose found he was unable to make it this year.

Festival Food

A wide selection of hot food will be available in the Oxenhope Festival Bar with a varying menu available throughout the day, including burgers, hot dogs, breakfast buns, pie and peas. The station buffets will also be available at both Oxenhope and Keighley.

Train and Bus times (adobe pdf required to open these files):

Friday 20th October  TRAIN TIMES    CONNECTING BUS TIMES       

Saturday 21st October   TRAIN TIMES    CONNECTING BUS TIMES

Sunday 22nd October    TRAIN TIMES    CONNECTING BUS TIMES

Note: The above bus timetables were amended on 22nd September to take into account revised train times at Hebden Bridge Station.

How to get here

To fully enjoy the event we encourage visitors to travel by Public Transport.

By Train

KWVR Trains operate from Keighley to Oxenhope during the opening times. Keighley station is also served by Northern Rail - there are frequent trains from Leeds, Bradford and Skipton - with daytime trains from further afield. Fares on Northern Rail services within West Yorkshire are cheap.

For details on direct rail services at Keighley Click Here.

Alternatively, to find times of trains from your local station, Click Here.

By Bus

Oxenhope is served by direct buses throughout the day from Keighley, Oakworth and CrossRoads and some Keighley suburbs. There is also a limited bus service from Todmorden and Hebden Bridge. To compliment these services, we will also be running a connecting FREE bus service from Hebden Bridge. At Hebden Bridge all buses go via the Railway Station - which has direct trains from Manchester, Blackpool, Preston, Halifax and the Calder Valley.

For details on all bus services in West Yorkshire, and to plan your journey Click Here.

For details on free bus services to the festival from Hebden Bridge, please see the links further up the page.

For details on Direct Trains to Hebden Bridge station, Click Here.

Fares

Single and Day Return Fares are available between any station on the KWVR Branch.

Normal KWVR fares will be in operation this weekend - with the exception of the Friday and Evening Services.

As we are a purely voluntary organisation, which receives no subsidy we DO NOT accept Metro Day Rovers, or any other Metro or National Rail ticket or concession. However, we do give discounts to Retired people and Students, as well as Children aged 5-15 inclusive. We also give discounts - on production of proof of postcode - to Local Residents who reside in the BD20, 21 or 22 Postcode areas.

We recommend the purchase of an All Day Ticket or a Full Line Return.

All Day Ticket

Allows unlimited travel all day between Keighley & Oxenhope. Also allows entry to the Award Winning Museum of Rail Travel at Ingrow West Station. Allows entry to the Festival Bar.

Adult - £12  (All Day Friday and any train after 1800 departure from Keighley on Saturday £6)

Concession (Retired / Student) - £8 (All Day Friday and any train after 1800 departure from Keighley on Saturday £6)

Child - £6 (All Day Friday and any train after 1800 departure from Keighley on Saturday £3)

Family (Up to 2 Adults and any three concessions or children) - £25

2 Day Ticket

Allows unlimited travel between Keighley & Oxenhope, allows entry to the Award Winning Museum of Rail Travel at Ingrow West. Allows entry to the Festival Bar.  Valid on Saturday and Sunday.

Adult - £18

Concession fares are available

Full Line Return

Valid for one complete round trip of the line from any station. Valid for entry to the Festival Bar

Adult - £8 (All Day Friday and any train after 1800 departure from Keighley on Saturday £4)

Concession (Retired / Student) - £5.40 (All Day Friday and any train after 1800 departure from Keighley on Saturday £4)

Child - £4 (All Day Friday and any train after 1800 departure from Keighley on Saturday £2)

Family (Up to 2 Adults and any three concessions or children) - £20

Images courtesy Johns Pub Pictures

Additional Establishments

The free bus services shown in our timetables operate past the Waggon & Horses Inn on Oxenhope Moor, and  the Fox & Goose Inn in Hebden Bridge. Both these pubs are highly recommended for the quality and range of the beer and have won Camra awards locally. Why not stop off at one of these locations too?