The Garden Festivals Company
Unit 12 Bartons Close
Southport
PR9 8NF
Phone : 01704 212 734 (2 Lines)
Press Releases:
| Morris Dancing |
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Ref: LHGF/PR.004 – Morris
Meet Morris Dancing’s pick-of-the-bunch at the Lotherton Hall Garden Festival
The Lotherton Hall Garden Festival, at Aberford near Leeds, is a ‘bloomin’ marvellous’ show-case opportunity to see some of the country’s very best Morris Dancing.
The show is on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 9 - 11, but the Morris Mini Festival is on Sunday only.
It is being organized by the local Betty Lupton’s Ladle Laikers from Harrogate who have invited dance teams from across the country to join them in a feast of traditional music and rhythm.
Difficult to miss are the blackened faces of the Iron Men from the Welsh Borders, a powerful clog-shod men’s team who perform loud and energetic stick dances from their home region. While their lively sister team, the Severn Gliders, demonstrate the intricate patterns and precision of the traditional dances of the North West of England.
Another local side, Ripon City Morris Dancers, will show dances from both Yorkshire and Lancashire with their hats fittingly decorated with colourful fresh flowers. Betty Lupton’s entertain with flowing rhythms in the North West traditions as well as their own unique dances.
Tessa Goldsmith, of Betty Lupton’s, explained: “Morris Dancing is also about colour and rhythm and movement. But there is also an element of scent since many of the teams do decorate with flowers. So in that sense we think it is highly appropriate to be at Lotherton.
“Musicians will be playing a variety of instruments, from melodeon to fiddle, whistle and drum, so we are certainly looking forward to getting toes tapping and entertaining visitors.”
While Kelvin Pye, of the Garden Festivals Company that has taken on the organisation of the show this year, added: "I am delighted to bring this top class festival of Morris Dancing to the Festival. The demonstrations are exactly the sort of entertainment I want for the show and will help ensure that Lotherton has its biggest and best ever programme this year."
The programme includes ferret racing on all three days, plus live music from a Caribbean Steel Band on Saturday and Sunday and demonstrations of traditional crafts such as clog-making, straw-craft and corn-dolly work.
4th Lotherton Hall Garden Festival – 10.00 – 17.00, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 9 – 11, 2008, Lotherton Hall, Aberford, Leeds LS25 3EB. Tickets: £5.00 for adults, £4.50 for senior citizens - or just £4.00 for both if booked in advance via the Ticket Hotline on 01492 523410 - children (under 16 years) free.
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Memo to News / Picture Editors: a selection of high-quality JPG pictures, including John Islwyn Jones’ ‘runway’, is available upon request. If required please call or email Anglian Public Relations on the numbers below.
For further information please contact:
Kelvin Pye The Garden Festivals Company 12 Bartons Close Southport PR9 8NF
Tel: 01704 212734 Email: kelvin@garden-festivals.co.uk Website: www.garden-festivals.co.uk
OR Laurie Pott Anglian Public Relations The Red House The Street Fornham St Martin Suffolk IP31 1SW
Tel: 01284 768784 Email: lauriepott@waitrose.com |
| Diary Date |
29/01/08 Ref: LHGF/PR.001 - Diary Dates
2008 Diary Dates . . . 2008 Diary Dates . . . 2008 Diary Dates
4th Lotherton Hall Garden Festival – 10.00 – 17.00, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 9 – 11, 2008, Lotherton Hall, Aberford, Leeds LS25 3EB. Tickets: £5.00 for adults, £4.50 for senior citizens - or just £4.00 for both if booked in advance via the Ticket Hotline on 01492 523410 - children (under 16 years) free.
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For further information please contact:
Kelvin Pye The Garden Festivals Company 12 Bartons Close Southport PR9 8NF
Tel: 01704 212734 Email: kelvin@garden-festivals.co.uk Website: www.garden-festivals.co.uk
OR Laurie Pott Anglian Public Relations The Red House The Street Fornham St Martin Suffolk IP31 1SW
Tel: 01284 768784 Email: lauriepott@waitrose.com
|
| Falconry |
April 23, 2008 Ref: LHGF/PR.003 – Falconry
Close encounters of the bird kind at the Lotherton Hall Garden Festival
The Lotherton Hall Garden Festival, at Aberford near Leeds, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 9 - 11, is a golden opportunity to see the magnificent hawks, owls and falcons of the Pen Y Bryn Falconry Display.
Falconer John Islwyn Jones is based on a working farm at Corwen in Denbighshire, North Wales, and visitors can catch his aerial demonstration and static display on all three days.
Highlight of the show – weather permitting – comes when John forms a human runway and brings a hawk in to land so close you can feel the wind from its wingtips on your face. Truly a close encounter of the bird kind.
“Our static exhibition consists of around ten different birds of prey, which gives people a chance to see and even handle them at close quarters,” said John, “In the arena we try and be both informative and entertaining. Spectators have a chance to see high-flying falcons being stooped to a lure and we encourage members of the public to join us in the arena to see the birds flying at ultra close quarters.
"These are real working birds and everything we do is based around the training they receive on the farm and the pest-control work they do for us. Lotherton is going to be a real first for me and I am looking forward to it enormously. Obviously I specialise in birds of prey but I know the hall is famous for its bird gardens and it’s too good an opportunity to miss as far as I am concerned"
While Kelvin Pye, of the Garden Festivals Company that has taken on the organisation of the show this year, added: "I am delighted to bring the Pen Y Bryn Falconry Display to the Festival. John puts on a great show and his demonstrations will help ensure that Lotherton has its biggest and best ever programme of events this year."
That programme includes one of the region’s largest Morris Dancing events on Sunday, ferret racing on all three days, plus live music from a Caribbean Steel Band on Saturday and Sunday and demonstrations of traditional crafts such as clog-making, straw-craft and corn-dolly work.
4th Lotherton Hall Garden Festival – 10.00 – 17.00, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 9 – 11, 2008, Lotherton Hall, Aberford, Leeds LS25 3EB. Tickets: £5.00 for adults, £4.50 for senior citizens - or just £4.00 for both if booked in advance via the Ticket Hotline on 01492 523410 - children (under 16 years) free.
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Memo to News / Picture Editors: a selection of high-quality JPG pictures, including John Islwyn Jones’ ‘runway’, is available upon request. If required please call or email Anglian Public Relations on the numbers below.
For further information please contact:
Kelvin Pye The Garden Festivals Company 12 Bartons Close Southport PR9 8NF
Tel: 01704 212734 Email: kelvin@garden-festivals.co.uk Website: www.garden-festivals.co.uk
OR Laurie Pott Anglian Public Relations The Red House The Street Fornham St Martin Suffolk IP31 1SW
Tel: 01284 768784 Email: lauriepott@waitrose.com
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To gain the latest information, please contact our PR Department
Mr Laurie Pott, Anglian Public Relations
by phoning 01284 768 784
or by emailing lauriepott@waitrose.com