News
Competition winners
Check the competition winners page for details.
Lost Property at Newcastleton Traditional Music Festival 2010!!!
Grey cardigan
Dark blue Cagoule (If they call them that any more!)
Pair of narrow lens, brown rimmed specs.
Head torch
Email ntmfsecretary@gmail.com to get details of how to recover it!
Newcastleton Traditional Music Festival - 40th Year "Holmcoming"
A tired but very happy Committee got together for the Survivors' Session on Sunday, the final day of Newcastleton Traditional Music Festival's 40th "Holmcoming" event. The room upstairs in the Buccleuch Centre was filled with tired, happy people and the session lasted until 5am (a bit early but it had been a LONG weekend!)
The village had been buzzing all weekend and with the weather behaving itself, the music was everywhere! The Square was full of musicians frantically playing as many tunes as they collectively could think of and back rooms in all venues were full of singers.
The competitions ran over time as there were so many competitors, the official campsite was full and the riverbank overflowing with tents and caravans.
There was an air of expectancy on the Friday and Saturday as people arrived and by Sunday night that had changed to tired, happy faces wending their way home to all parts of the British Isles and further!
The village, as usual, opened its arms to the thousands of people who came for this very special 40th festival and the licensed premises and restaurants had queues almost all weekend. The atmosphere was electric, with musicians and singers happily joining in with the Copshaw Common Riding on Saturday. As usual this was a wonderful event with adults and children filling the streets with bicycles decorated with balloons and streamers.
The Friday dance with the Alan Gardiner Band was full to the brim and the Saturday Dance with 2 Left Feet had the Village Hall rattling on its foundations!
Spectators and competitors at the piping competition in the Square on Sunday basked in the hot July sun as they listened to the wonderful music and the comments and decisions of the judge, John Connor.
At the Grand Prizewinners Concert on Saturday Evening, stalwart of the Festival and Newcastleton resident Alan Atkinson, was awarded a Life Membership in recognition of his help and support over the years - thanks Alan.
There were two special Anniversary events: Herd Laddie O The Glen concert, sponsored by SBC Arts Department, with Alison McMorland and Geordie McIntyre on the Friday evening in Liddesdale Parish Church was well attended and enjoyed by all, not least the lifesize and very lifelike papier mache model of Willie Scott sculpted by Jan Miller of Penicuik standing at the front of the church listening with a grin on his face to all the songs that he so enjoyed singing.
The final concert on Sunday afternoon - a Holmcoming Session hosted by Norman Stewart, was a sellout with musicians being invited to play for the final time at this year's Festival.
A huge vote of thanks from the Committee goes to the people of Newcastleton who let us disrupt their peaceful village for yet another year.
It was a WONDERFUL Festival and we'll be back!
Susie Kelly
Secretary NTMF