International Pipe and Tabor Festival 2008

The Schedule for the International Pipe and Tabor Festival 2008 is now on-line her:-

International Pipe and Tabor Festival 2008 Gloucester Schedule

International Pipe and Tabor Festival 2008 Gloucester  13 – 15 June Westgate Street, Gloucester

Every year the International Pipe and Tabor Festival brings together taborers and like-minded musicians from all over the country to explore and celebrate the instrument, its history and its music. 

The instrument has its origins in the small one-handed bone flutes of ancient times and in Gloucestershire there is evidence for over 1000 years of its unique music. 

This year we are working in collaboration with two other festivals:-

• Gloucester Medieval Fayre
• Gloucester 1000 (to mark 1000 years since the foundation of Gloucestershire)

The events will be held along Westgate Street and around the Cathedral.

The festival has three main strands:-

• International          Bringing guest artists from parallel traditions in Europe;
• Medieval                The heyday of the instrument in England;
• Morris                    The pipe and tabor survived to modern times as the prime instrument for this Cotswold tradition.

Our programme includes concerts, public performances, wandering minstrels, morris dancing, master-classes and workshops, including beginners’ sessions and a children’s event.  Much of the event is in costume and in the public.  One aim is to promote the instrument and we do our best to make it easily accessible and interesting.

It is a small festival, but important in its field.  We are twinned with the Festa del Flabiols in Arbucies Catalunya which is the only other international festival for the instrument.

For latest details please look at www.pipeandtabor.org

All enquiries - Steve Rowley  01453 763181

1st June 2007

The Three Choirs Walk By The Gloucester Walkers Itinerary here..

8th March 2007

Medieval Stallholders update here..

19th January 2007

We invite a mixture of ‘genuine’ medieval stallholders, re-enactment groups and relevant traders to exhibit their wares at the above.  Stallholders selling their merchandise will be charged £10.00.  Everyone (including stallholders) MUST dress in Medieval costume for the day.  This event has been advertised in the Gloucester Travel Trade Manual, distributed to tour operators and groups nationwide.  Tour buses and coaches park for FREE in the Lower Westgate Street car park.  The Plantagenet Medieval Society, street entertainers, jugglers, jesters, musicians and dancers will create a wonderful atmosphere.

WESTGATE QUARTER - STREET FAYRE

We invite other traders to buy a pitch in Westgate Street to participate in a day of Music, Dance & family fun at the Westgate Quarters Street Fayre. Pitches start at £30.

The Westgate Association is a voluntary community organisation, made up of businesses and residents, which have joined together with Central Gloucester Initiative and Gloucester Rotary Club to organise this event.  The Fayre is intended to raise funds for local charities and provide Gloucester residents and visitors with a superb family fun day. 

19th May 2006

Gloucester Westgate Medieval Fayre
Thousands of people will flock to Westgate Street, Gloucester again this year for the annual Medieval Fayre on Saturday, 10 June. Over 40 stalls, archery, re-enactments, brass rubbing, pig roasts, basket making, spinning, chainsaw sculpture and much, much more will be on show. See website www.westgatequarter.co.uk.

The incoming Mayor of Gloucester, Cllr Sue Blakeley and Howard Johnson, President of Gloucester Rotary Club, will open? the fayre at 10.00 am. A huge warm welcome will also be extended to the noble Priory walkers (last year’s Dick Whittington walkers) who will be at the end of their week-long walk from Llanthony Priory in Wales to Llanthony Priory in Gloucester and who will end their walk by dining at the great Medieval Banquet within the magnificent Cathedral Chapter House, that evening.

During the Fayre, Westgate Street has laid down the challenge to other gate streets to a tug-of-war competition on the Cathedral green. The Royal Gloucestershire, Wiltshire & Berkshire Army Regiment will be in action with their popular paint ball range. Diane Phillips of Central Gloucester Initiative says, “it’s a great way to include the whole of the city in the fun”

Other activities and displays include ‘have a go archery’, medieval dancing, a Medieval Tournament, Knights in Shining Armour, Treasure Hunts in the Cathedral and Newent Choir singing in St. Nicholas Church, together with performances by Morris Men and England’s Glory Ladies, a swing boat children’s ride, a Medieval rat catcher and many arts and craft stalls.

The City Farm will provide rare bred animals, the National Birds of Prey will show some impressive birds and BBC Radio Gloucestershire will broadcast live from the fayre, which ends at 4.00 pm.

The Fayre is organised by The Westgate Traders Association, a 40+ member group chaired by Chris Brookes of Hedley’s Sandwich Shop, with support from Gloucester Rotary Club, the Central Gloucester Initiative, Protocol Design Media, Gloucester Cathedral, The Citizen, BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Blushes and Nick’s Timber. For more details on the Fayre and to purchase tickets for the evening Banquet, contact 01452 412828.
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Editor’s note: For more information, contact Diane Phillips at Central Gloucester Initiative, Tel: 01452 412828

The Westgate Association, who promote trade in the bustling Westgate Quarter, are planning a tug-of-war event to take place during their annual Medieval fayre and are calling on representatives from Gloucester’s Eastgate, Southgate and Northgate Streets to accept their challenge and put forward a team each to take on their own ultra-competitive shop keepers and business people.

The Medieval fayre, one of the most colourful events in the City calendar, is set to take place on Saturday June 10th. The event, organised by the Westgate Association in partnership with the Central Gloucester Initiative and the Gloucester Rotary Club, will see Westgate Street and the Cathedral Green turn back the centuries for a day of celebrations and special events including a knights tournament and medieval re-enactment.

Chris Brookes, chairman of the Westgate Association, said: “ We want to get the whole City centre involved in this year’s fayre. I think that a tug-of-war with teams from each gated street will be a great way of pulling the city together!”

Diane Phillips of the Central Gloucester Initiative (CGI), the group who helped re-launch the Westgate Association said: “This is a great way for the whole of the city to become involved in a super family fun day The enthusiasm of the traders in the area is fantastic and the event will bring visitors from further afield into the city.”
Those brave enough to take up the challenge should contact Mr Brookes on 01452 310100.

-ends-

Sources
Chris Brookes, Chairman of the Westgate Association, c/o Hedleys Sandwich bar, 64 Westgate Street, Gloucester Tel. - 01452 310100

Diane Phillips, Assistant City centre manager, Central Gloucester Initiative
Email - DianeP@gloucester.gov.uk