Feel good Festival
Music and madness at Long Acre Barn’s Nowt Daft Summer festival
The East Eden Valley was flooded with music this weekend, as the first Nowt Daft Summer Beer and Music festival took place. Whilst other parts of the Eden district suffered torrential rain, the sun shone at Long Acre Barn, Kings Meaburn which played host to a beer festival and live music on Saturday and Sunday.
The ‘Nowt Daft’ Summer Beer and music festival was organised by the Addison family at Keld Farm. Their new Long Acre Barn venue was an ideal location, with the ‘Log Store’ acting as the perfect stage for the bands and the barn providing the perfect acoustics for the Middle Eden Voices Choir.
Keen to promote businesses, Johnny and Janet Addison sourced ales from Tirril Brewery including Old Faithful, Original Bitter and Ullswater Blonde and invited ‘The Foodles Bar’ to feed the hungry audience.
Saturday night was a sell out affair, with live music from popular Scottish 8 piece Ska band ‘PorkPie’ who provided high energy, highly danceable music. Janet said “We were lucky to get the band who we hear are on tour this year with gigs including the Edinburgh Festival in August and the Old Fire Station, Carlisle in November. They play an eclectic mix to suit everyone, and with such intensity and enthusiasm that it really got our crowd of all ages up on their feet. As well as ska music from bands such as Madness, The Specials and Bad Manners, they also include music from the likes of James Brown, Paolo Nutini, and the Blues Brothers.”
In addition to the band, there were DJ sets by James Horrocks DJ which maintained the energy levels and kept everyone dancing into the night.
Sunday’s line up had a different vibe. A more sedate, but no less entertaining afternoon of music. Launching the afternoon session was the Middle Eden Voice Choir who played a range of songs from Hallelujah and Shenandoah to Sweet Caroline. Johnny Addison is part of the choral group, he said “It was the first time we’ve sung in the barn, and I was keen to see how the acoustics worked. There were only 19 of us singing, but the audience said the sound throughout the barn was amazing. We managed to capture it on video, and it has had a great reception on our social media www.facebook.com/longacrebarn.“
Sunday afternoon spectators then wandered across the lawn to the ’Log Store’ where 18 members of ‘Morland Ukulele Group’ (Mugs) played tunes which included songs made famous by local heroes like Laurel & Hardy (On the trail of the Lonesome Pine) and Bring me Sunshine Morcombe and Wise (Bring me Sunshine).
The inaugural Nowt Daft event was organised by Emma and Sally Addison, but it is unlikely to be the last. Spectator Tracey Errington attended the event across both days and said “It was a real community gathering with a real mix of ages on both days. The high energy Saturday night was a real contrast to the lazy Sunday afternoon, and both were brilliant. It was a very laid back atmosphere, and it was a wonderful opportunity for the family to show off the finished result after two years of building work to restore the barn and the granary to something that can be used for a wide range of events in the future. I have to say, listening to the Choir on Sunday gave me goosebumps. It was great to see the barn in all its glory – a larger than expected place that so many people got to enjoy.”
For more information about holding events at Long Acre Barn, contact Janet Addison on 07739 709841