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May Heydays 2025 - catering
by Announcements for May HeyDays 24 Mar '25

24 Mar '25

Dear May Heydays Supporters, old and new We are very pleased to announce that we can now confirm the catering arrangements for May Heydays 2025. It has been a bit of a rocky road; we learned last autumn that the prior onsite company had lost the school contract and a new one was taking over. For some time, it was unclear whether they would provide a service or allow a 3rd party into the kitchen to do so. It was only in February that the answer came as ‘no’. So, with the help of an experienced consultant, we sought mobile caterers to come in and give us a range of options from Friday evening to Monday afternoon. Their detailed menus are now on the new catering page of our website: (https://mayheydays.org.uk/food.html). In summary, we have: Friday night: “StarChip Enterprise” – the local Evesham supplier, Jeff Warren (who appeared outside the gates in 2023), with award winning Fish & Chips, plus other options. Saturday: “Eat Greek” – with a company based in Worcester, Vicky and Demetrios will provide ‘mythically delicious Greek food’ for lunch and dinner. Sunday: “Bowlicious” – hailing from Wales, John Ishmael, a seasoned festival caterer, will provide ‘flavoursome food on the go’ for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Saturday and Sunday: “Really Awesome Coffee”, with Brad Edginton, will be on site from 9am up to about 5pm, providing ‘real’ coffee, some teas and a range of other drink options plus assorted cakes. Monday: “StarChip” will be back. All concessions will have some GF, veggie and vegan options, but note that there will be no breakfast caterer on Saturday and Monday. On Friday and Monday our stewards will staff stations to provide teas and coffees. We are well aware it will never be possible to please everybody when selecting the food options and we have done our best at relatively short notice. Do please use our caterers as much as you can and give us and them your feedback. Our aim is to have ongoing relationships with a range of suppliers so both we and they know what to expect over the coming years. Many thanks – and here’s to seeing a festival-ful of you on the dance floors in May. Monty Crook MHD Ticketing and other stuff PS: as we switch our supporters' email lists over from the set up used previously to that provided by our now ticketing website, some of you may receive two copies of this mail. Please bear with us, on the basis that 2 copies are better than none......

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MHD - 3 days left for an Early-Bird
by Announcements for May HeyDays 28 Jan '25

28 Jan '25

May Heydays 2025 Dear Friends and Supporters, Many of you of course have already booked your bargain attendee or steward tickets - and thanks for that; for others still thinking about it, there are now only three days left to secure one at the Early-Bird rate! The programme is full of variation – from the familiar to the outlandish - and is trying to serve as many different interests as I can get into three days and one venue. And you don't have to take my word for it, have a look here: https://www.mayheydays.org.uk/programme.html . Apart from swapping things around within the grid, there shouldn't be any major changes. We have Colin Hume and Andrew Swaine doing a workshop each on calling gender-free/positionally; you'll know the debate and understand why. Please let me know if you would like to participate in those, or, if not, let us have your thoughts. Monty reports that we could still do with a few more stewards - an even cheaper festival option - and you still get to participate in your sessions. So, hi thee to the tickets page for Early-Birds or send a form to Monty to volunteer as a steward. Best wishes Mecki Director -- Tel 07977 512 639

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May Heydays - news from the front.....
by Announcements for May HeyDays 14 Jan '25

14 Jan '25

Dear Long-Term Supporters and New Comers to May Heydays. This mail serves several purposes: it welcomes our newcomers to Evesham this year, thanks regular attendees who have already booked, reminds those who are still thinking about it (especially those who have not yet ventured into The Vale) that the Early-Bird ticket price of £97pp ends on 31st January, with weekend tickets being £115pp thereafter – and signals that we really need another 10-15 stewards to sign up. (Don’t forget, steward half-price tickets also go up from 1st February.) Also, we do not have our usual photographer this year, so it would be very helpful if one or two keen camera wielders could volunteer themselves to get snapping around the venue over the weekend. Which reminds me to say that it is our standard practice to have photos taken at sessions, maybe show them on a laptop at the event, and later publish selected ones on the website. Anyone concerned about this should approach whoever is behind a lens pointing at them and ask not to be captured on film. Our new Ticket Tailor booking system seems to be working well, with no issues reported by those who have booked. Don’t be put off, its use costs you no extra, you can pay T.T. directly, or into our bank account, or send me a cheque. Meanwhile, Mecki is busy fine-tuning the program, coping with performers who have double-booked themselves (without too much bad language), being sympathetic to our artists assorted needs – and really looking forward to May - our fourth event already! Keep up to date on the website: https://mayheydays.org.uk/ Best wishes to all for 2025 – and we hope to see lots of you at Evesham on May 2nd. Regards Monty Crook MHD Ticketing

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May Heydays tickets onsale Novembe 1st
by Announcements for May HeyDays 31 Oct '24

31 Oct '24

Dear Supporters We are pleased to announce that tickets for May Heydays, May 2nd to 5th 2025, will go on sale on November 1st, with ticket prices held the same as for 2023 and 2024. Note that our Early-Bird ticket (Nov 1st to Jan 31st) is £97 per person, and the price increases to £115 on Feb 1st. You will find full details on our website, at https://mayheydays.org.uk/tickets.html. Our one-month delay in starting sales has been due to a decision to adopt an online ticket system, run by TicketTailor and accessed via our tickets page. It is easy to use, has been adapted to meet our requirements and has been thoroughly tried and tested. Payments by bank transfer, cheque and cards are all accepted, at no additional cost to the buyer. Purchasers will need to supply an email to use this system, but ticket application ‘by paper’ will still be available on the website for those who prefer this route. Those who would like to volunteer as stewards will find tickets available at half price – with some free options – on the Stewards page: at https://mayheydays.org.uk/stewards.html. That’s enough of the technical stuff, the great news of course is the wide mix of activities and splendid line-up of talent which Mecki has assembled for the weekend, such as Seth Tepfer, Box of Frogs, Andrew Swaine, Confluence, Colin Hume, Old Time Contra Band, Nicola Scott, Dampiers Round….. and many more, see https://mayheydays.org.uk/performers.html We look forward to seeing many of you again at Evesham in May next year (though we do hear that there are one or two other festivals out there), so pop online, check out all the info – and make your booking! Meanwhile, we trust all is well with you and yours, and send early best wishes for the year-end festive season. Regards from Monty Crook and the May Heydays Team PS: If you no longer wish to be on our mailing list, do drop a line saying ‘No Thanks’ and we will unsubscribe you.

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MHD '24 - closure of advance sales, 9am on 29 April
by Announcements for May HeyDays 26 Apr '24

26 Apr '24

Dear Supporters After a slow start to tickets sales for May Heydays 2024 back in the autumn, it is a pleasure to report that things picked up in January, and we are now at the level we had last year. Over 30% are newcomers to Evesham, which is similar to 2023 and very gratifying. The word is clearly out there and we are established on the folkdance festival circuit. The MHD Team has decided to now close advance ticket sales in the busy few days left to us, so no new applications will be accepted after 9am on Monday 29th April – whether by cheque, bank transfer or the WeGotTickets agency. However, full-day, part-day and evening tickets will be available for sale at the venue for those still pondering whether to dip their toes in. Mecki has most of the performers lined up for 2025, so look out for news on that soon; more will be revealed at Evesham over the Bank Holiday weekend. Best wishes to all, for a better season this summer than spring was, and enjoy your dancing wherever you pitch up. Regards MHD Team

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Last minute accommodation at May Heyday 2024
by Announcements for May HeyDays 11 Apr '24

11 Apr '24

Dear Supporters If anyone is still thinking of coming to MHD over the Bank Holiday weekend but has concerns about last minute accommodation, we have a couple who have had to cancel and have 4 nights booked at the Fish & Anchor at Evesham WR11 8QT. If interested, let me know and I will put you in contact on a first-come first-served basis. For info, the festival has a healthy number booked, slightly higher than last year, and we are all looking forward to it. Director Mecki is now busy lining up the performers for 2025. Regards Monty Crook MHD Ticketing

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Final Early-Bird Email
by Announcements for May HeyDays 31 Jan '24

31 Jan '24

Dear Supporters, 1) As you may be aware, our programme is under constant review. While the published draft is pretty much what is going to happen, Mecki has been working on some fine-tuning, and the changes are now on the website. So take another look to see if May Heydays delivers what it prides itself on: a well-balanced programme, catering for folkies with very varied interests. 2) There are still spaces on the callers' training programme. Please send Mecki (director(a)mayheydays.org.uk) an email if you would like to participate. 3) The Early-Bird form will remain on the website until some time on 1 February to allow for different time zones. This means a short extra window for late deciders... The May Heydays Team

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May Heydays - all steward slots now filled
by Announcements for May HeyDays 29 Jan '24

29 Jan '24

Hello All Just to advise anyone still contemplating volunteering as a steward, we now have sufficient for our needs, and do not plan to accept further applications (unless already in the post and arriving before Jan 31st....). Many thanks to those who have stepped forward, plus to all who have booked weekend tickets and/or have offered encouragement for our 3rd festival at Evesham. Early-bird tickets are still available, until 31st January...... Regards Monty Crook May Heydays Ticketing

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From May Heydays: Regency to Ragtime, Cotillions to Squares - and more! Get your tickets here.
by Announcements for May HeyDays 16 Jan '24

16 Jan '24

Hi All American caller Susan de Guardiola is probably most famous internationally for her knowledge of English "Regency" and she will lead the Regency Ball on Sunday evening. Her dance workshop programme at May Heydays has now been finalized, covering historical social dance forms and dance reconstruction, with aspects of dance history and a wide variety of group and couple dances - 16th century to the early 20th century - with a few odd dabblings up to the present day. Different styles, countries of origins and eras are included: • English Cotillions • Early 19th century German couple dances, allemandes to schottische • Early American (1776-1812) longways and squares • 16th century Italian folk dances • Early 20th American Ragtime dances • Late 19th century American - longways & squares Susan will also give a talk about Louis-Julien Clarchies (b. 22/12/1769, d. 25/12/1815), a French dancer, musician and dance composer. Of Curacao origin, he become famous in Paris in the 1800s, composing ‘contredanses, valses (anglaises et sauteuses)’, and he apparently ‘invented’ the move now termed ‘the Ocean Wave’. Some musical accompaniment will be included. So, it all sounds a lot of fun, with something there for everyone: slow and fast, easy and a bit more difficult, unusual and amusing. Drop in to whatever catches your eye – and enjoy! More details will be posted on the website. https://mayheydays.org.uk/performers.html Mecki MHD Director director(a)mayheydays.org.uk Our thanks to those who have already booked Early-bird and Steward tickets; numbers look very reasonable at this stage, but there is room for lots more of you lovely dancers - and some more volunteers to steward. Don’t forget, Weekend tickets will be £115 from 1st February, with Steward tickets at £57. Booking forms to 31st January are attached. Monty MHD Ticketing tickets(a)mayheydays.org.uk Tel 01308 423 442

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Greetings from May Heydays for January 1st
by Announcements for May HeyDays 01 Jan '24

01 Jan '24

Dear dance friends and MHD supporters Now that the stresses, strains, expense, pleasures and fun of the festive season are (mostly) past, just a reminder that you have 30 days left to order your Early-Bird tickets for May Heydays 2024. Hi thee to it! Mecki and I are enjoying seeing two noisy, boisterous, young granddaughters amidst a foot or so of snow and temperatures of -12C (and expected to get to -20), at a very basic farm here in Norway - part of my convalescence from a right side mastectomy on Dec 12th. Yep, I found a lump on Oct 3rd and things then took their course. It was an interesting, if disturbing, way to end one year and enter the next - but the news was as good as it could be. I mention this, really, to say that this was well below my radar, as I suspect it would be with most of you, male or female. My message is that it may be rare (less tha 1% of UK and US breast cancers), but it's out there and often caught late, so I do urge all men to check now and again, and advise their pals to do likewise. And women, nag your parters or male friends about it as well. Good wishes are taken as read and I wish us all a happy healthy dancing year - and 3rd Evesham festival! Monty MHD Ticketing

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Keep the MHD bookings coming...
by Announcements for May HeyDays 07 Dec '23

07 Dec '23

Dear MHD Supporters It was very encouraging that our recent update produced a (small) flurry of applications for Early-bird tickets and steward roles. Do keep them coming and it would be particularly good for those planning to steward to get in early - to help our steward organisers to set up rotas but also for volunteers to get slots they would prefer to oversee. Also, please all remember the weekend and steward prices go up on 1st February; it would help me if you did not all wait to 31st January to apply! I will be somewhat slower in responding to applications or queries from 11th December, due to a planned operation on the 12th which will impede things a bit - but I will get round to all, so don't let that put you off making contact. If you have already applied, apologies that it is easier for me to contact you within the list of all supporters, rather than excluding you. Do try not to send in another form (and money!) - which does happen occasionally.... Finally, if you are still on our list for historical reasons and would prefer not to receive any more mail from May Heydays, do let me know and I will remove you from the list. Many thanks and, again, best wishes to all. Monty Crook MHD Ticketing PS: I apologise for spelling Rodney Miller's surname wrongly in our last note - which quickly got spotted when the update was put on Facebook.

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MHD '24 update
by Announcements for May HeyDays 02 Dec '23

02 Dec '23

Dear Supporters If you received and read our first announcement about ticket sales, you probably noticed the booking form was not actually attached - sorry about that. Forms are now attached in PDF and Word format. You can, of course, also find the forms for dancers and stewards here: https://mayheydays.org.uk/tickets.html https://mayheydays.org.uk/stewards.html Remember that Early-bird prices finish on 31st January. Mecki is busy fine-tuning the programme and trying to accommodate the needs and wishes of bands, callers and sound team – a bit like juggling with 4 squirrels at once… She’s also trialling a gender-free option across International, English and American streams, with just one-such event at any time in the regular programme. So, there will be plenty of choice for all – including an increased spread of non-dance events, with more musicians' and singing workshops, plus some story telling. Remember, you can see all on the programme page: (https://mayheydays.org.uk/programme.html). Some people may not know of our booked U.S. musicians, the Lighthouse band; they are an off-shoot of the Rodney Millar band of whom you are more likely to have heard. They’re very accomplished players for American styles of dancing. Here is an idea of what they’ll sound like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNOE4W_kMGY. The other good news is that we have now found a local caterer who will take on the full catering service for the weekend. More info will be provided in due course, and we'll put details on the website. Account will be taken of a range of allergies and food preferences (such as vegetarian/gluten-free, etc). However, the caterer may not be able to provide for very individual needs, so please don’t try to make contact with the caterer to ask for your detailed specific diet - you may need to bring and prepare your own food at the school. In this case, please talk to us and we can give you access to a small kitchen area with a microwave oven. (Obviously, this facility cannot be made widely available). Best wishes to all for the festive season, Mecki and Monty Tel 01308 423 442

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May Heydays 2024, 3rd - 6th May
by Announcements for May HeyDays 30 Sep '23

30 Sep '23

Dear Supporters The May Heydays team is pleased to announce that tickets for 2024 are on sale from tomorrow. Prices are as for 2023, £97 per person for an Early-Bird weekend ticket, with £20pp for camping. Under 18s’ and full-time students’ tickets are £48 with camping at £10. Stewards’ tickets are £48 (including camping). These prices are valid until 31st January. A booking form is attached and can also be downloaded from the website; purchase can also be made from the website via the WeGotTickets agency (with added booking fee). During the course of the sale of tickets for the whole weekend we will keep an eye on numbers and may choose to limit the total, because, if we are to grow, we want to do so in a controlled manner, so as to avoid dance venue overcrowding and manage the ability of the school and our caterers to cope at this our third event. The first draft of the 2024 programme is now on the website, but remember this will be subject to changes and additions, so keep an eye on it. We will also be updating other website pages, for example with respect to local Evesham info on restaurants, camping and other accommodation - when new info is provided by the Tourist Information office (at the moment they are sending out stuff dated 02/2022! We have had discussion with the school about feedback from this year’s event and they have already made improvements based on your suggestions. These include redecoration / refurbishments of some toilets and showers – more are planned but not necessarily in time for our event. Provision of better catering service(s) is in progress, and we will advise later on the menu options. Thank you for your continuing support for May Heydays and we hope to see you next year, 3 - 6 May. Keep well and best wishes The May Heydays Team

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MHD 2023 - brief update and 2x tickets/accommodation offer
by Announcements for May HeyDays 11 Apr '23

11 Apr '23

Dear Supporters This is to let you know that ticket applications for MHD 23 (weekend, day, evening) will be accepted via Agency, bank transfer, or cheque, if received by 21st April. Steward applications are now closed. You may be interested to learn that we now have a confirmed deal with a new caterer, Delicious Cafe-Deli-Bistro, of Evesham. Details will be on the website soon. For anyone still thinking about coming and/or worrying about accommodation, we have a couple who unfortunately cannot make it this year and would like to pass on their 2 Early-Bird tickets plus booked local Air BnB at cost (£239). Please contact: anneathome321(a)gmail.com. Anyone taking up this offer will need to let us have a booking form with their details on. Regards Monty Crook MHD Ticketing

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May Heydays mid-March messages
by Announcements for May HeyDays 12 Mar '23

12 Mar '23

Dear Supporters, (with apologies to all those who have already booked - who are getting this again - Monty used the wrong distribution list first time.... duh!) We are pleased to be able to tell you that preparations are going well. Lots of you have booked, so that we have added in a couple of ceilidhs for Saturday and Sunday evening, to prevent people getting crowded in the main halls. On the last day in January we had a bit of a hitch when, following illness and staff changes, the school caterers who ran the café in 2022 decided not to do it again this year. But, we have managed to find an Evesham cafe which does on-site catering for events such as ours and they are busy creating a menu for us. They’ve have had a look at the school kitchen and are happy to proceed, though with a few details still to be sorted out. The menu and choices will be similar to last year but we have to be aware prices may rise a bit, especially considering the national food inflation. With these caterers, we are again doing our best to try and reduce queues around the meal times, which may entail pre-ordering, particularly on Friday night and for main meal items. There will be a separate D.I.Y. salad server, and we plan two tea/coffee stations, one to be run by stewards or other volunteers. As a number of people have already asked, we are opening day ticket sales as of tomorrow (or as soon as the booking forms get loaded on the website…). The countdown has started in earnest and we are all very much looking forward to our second May Heydays. Please respond to director(a)mayheydays.org.uk or tickets(a)mayheydays.org.uk Regards Mecki and Team PS: You may like to know that your Director is even now actively working on the line-up for 2024, Friday 3rd to Monday 6th May - put it in your diary!

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May Heydays 2023 - January update
by Announcements for May HeyDays 30 Jan '23

30 Jan '23

Dear Festival Supporters, You may be pleased to hear that we have already received more bookings for this year - one day before the end of the Early-Bird phase - than we had total ticket sales for the 2022 festival. So, all those of you who came and enjoyed last year obviously went home and spread the news about it. Thank you! And we're not done yet. There is one day left to buy at the Early-bird rate (£97, go for it!) and then full weekend tickets will be available at £115, plus evening and full day tickets will go on sale from April 1st. Also, a few steward bookings can still be accepted. If you have a look at the programme page on the website, you'll see that we have expanded quite considerably on last year's programme, and we may yet add extra evening dances if we feel that would be advantageous. While the programme content is pretty much fixed, individual workshops may still be swapped around, so please don't print the programme until the last minute. If you scroll down below the programme spreadsheet, you'll find workshop/dance descriptions. We are still adding to those. We WILL print out a few programmes and descriptions to be displayed at the festival and put them up in strategic places. Callers' training programme: David and Kathryn Wright still have spaces on these excellent workshops; you can join too, if you contact Mecki before 1 March. There are advanced preparations to be done, so please don't leave it until the last minute! we know a few people have said they will help with MHD doing the preparation of the teas and coffees during breaks; if this was some time ago or you would now like to offer, do let us know (or remind us) so that we have a clear idea of who we can call on before the event gets underway. We would also appreciate some offers of ‘village hall size’ teapots…. Looking forward to a buzzing festival! Mecki and team Please reply to this via: director(a)mayheydays.org.uk or tickets(a)mayheydays.org.uk

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News from the M.H.D. coalface
by Announcements for May HeyDays 06 Jan '23

06 Jan '23

Dear Supporters Thanks to all who responded so well to our last announcement in mid-December, upping E.B. bookings by 38% and maintaining ‘newbie’ levels at about 24%. But, way to go, folks! I don’t know about you, but I hate it when we manage to miss the ‘early-bird treats’ from such as Chippenham, Sidmouth or Lichfield, so this is our last reminder to get your booking forms in soon. Money needs to be in our bank - or cheques in my hands - by midnight on 31st January (special deliveries accepted!). After that, Weekend tickets are £115 and steward tickets £57 each. And we still need more stewards.... Now, words from our sponsor: Where are all you budding callers? Remember David and Kathryn Wright will be organising caller training sessions again this year, so if you want to brush up your style and have a chance to call a dance or two for a festival audience, get your names to Mecki: director(a)mayheydays.org.uk. Likewise, there is this year's Original Contra Dance competition, with space for a few more entries - see https://mayheydays.org.uk/rules23.html. This event went very well last year when the dance style was Playford - come on, you Contra lovers, step up to the plate! A lift needed: We have one performer coming in from Rumania and she will need picking up from Birmingham on Friday 28th afternoon and returning to the airport on Tuesday 2nd at 9am. Anyone booked or planning to book who thinks they could help, please let us know and we will sort out a deal w.r.t. to ticketing or petrol money. Best wishes Monty & Mecki, The MHD Paired Office Sharers.

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Tickets and associated tittle-tattle...
by Announcements for May HeyDays 14 Dec '22

14 Dec '22

Dear Supporters I’m pleased to report that Early-Bird tickets sale are going well, with a quarter of those booking being first timers to Evesham. But, we have over 100 of last year’s happy dancers and a few roll-overs still to re-book, so we are very hopeful that there are a lot more pending attendees out there who are still holding back - maybe until the festive season is over? So, a reminder that the E.B. ticket price of £97 lasts until 31st January, and then weekend tickets will be £115 each. At the same time, a Steward’s half-price ticket goes up from £48 to £57. Also a plea to get your E.B. ticket request in as early as you can and not leave it to the last moment, ‘cos there’s only little old me to process them all! Probably better not to rely on postal applications either, the way things are. By the way, steward applications are a bit low at the moment, so do remember that stewards are very much needed for a successful festival, we will likely need more next year if we take over doing the tea/coffee refreshments from the caterers. Plus, it is a good deal, since the work-load is not excessive…… Cheers, Monty- MHD Ticketing Over to the boss……… We now have a few entries to our Contra Dance Competition, but there is space for more. All the rules are easily to be found on the website. For those who would like to take part in our callers’ training, please let me know soon, so that David and Katherine can start the ball rolling. Those are my reminders for now. More in the New Year. Mecki - and don’t forget to enjoy the festive season!

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May Heydays update
by Announcements for May HeyDays 06 Nov '22

06 Nov '22

Hi everyone, Today's good news is that the government has announced an *extra* bank holiday next year 'to celebrate the Coronation', rather than moving ours! Hurrah! We're safe for 2023 - so, Friday 28 April to Monday 1 May it is! This year we judged the very enjoyable Playford Style Dance Writing Competition. We had eight entries which fitted nicely into the two-and-a-half hour slot. Disappointingly, no entries for next year's Contra Dance Writing Competition have arrived yet. What are those of you who write dances doing right now? We know you are out there! The rules can be found here: https://mayheydays.org.uk/rules23.html . Anyone can enter! As every year, we will be doing our caller training again. If you are a budding caller who would like to hone your skills and call for a festival audience, please send an email to directorayheydays.org.uk, and your name will be passed on to Katherine and David Wright who will do the training next year. Bookings are going well, but we're getting the impression (from conversations we've had) that we'll have a lot of last-minute bookings at the end of January.... Do have pity on our Bookings volunteer and help spread the load a bit! We will be sending further a reminders! Best wishes, Mecki Testroet, Director Monty Crook, General Dogsbody -- Tel 01308 423 442

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"Keep the May 1st 2023 Bank Holiday" - the petition is now published
by Announcements for May HeyDays 17 Oct '22

17 Oct '22

Dear Supporters It appears I jumped the gun in sending out the news of our petition to keep the May 1st Bank Holiday next year. But, it is now published: – “Keep the May 1st 2023 Bank Holiday on that date and not move it to May 8th” Click this link to see the petition (and maybe start sharing it): https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/625155 If you feel like supporting this, many thanks, Regards Monty MHD Ticketing

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MHD - Keep 1st May 2023 as the Bank Holiday - sign our petition
by Announcements for May HeyDays 12 Oct '22

12 Oct '22

Hello All Oh, no, it looks to be happening again........ I’ve made a petition – will you sign it? Click this link to sign the petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/625155/sponsors/new?token=tVxI5SzW… My petition: Keep the May 1st 2023 Bank Holiday on that date and not move it to May 8th Do not take the decision to move the Spring Bank Holiday again for the second time in 3 years. Please consider more fully the negative effect this can have on peoples' long made plans and commitments, whether in leisure activities, manufacturing lead times or other endeavours. In May 2020 the Spring Bank Holiday was moved to May 8th at short notice. This affected many long-planned events, costing money (as in cancelled flights/hotels, advertising costs) and with great inconvenience to organisers. Does parliament not get the effect this had on many Bank Holiday plans, including many traditional festivals with international followings. Anyone wishing to celebrate the King's coronation has the Friday, Saturday and Sunday - why do we need the Monday as well? Click this link to sign the petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/625155/sponsors/new?token=tVxI5SzW… Monty Crook

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May Heydays 2023 - ticket sales and updates
by Announcements for May HeyDays 02 Oct '22

02 Oct '22

(The problem with mothballing MHD matters for 5 months is remembering what state things were left in and where. That explains why only about 20 on our supporters list got this email yesterday and the other 300 plus did not. This mail remedies that and gives the lucky 20 another chance to read the info....) Dear Supporters May Heydays, 28th April - 1st May 2023 The May Heydays team is pleased to announce that Early-bird tickets for 2023 are now on sale. Prices are £97 per person for a weekend ticket, with £20pp for camping. Under 18s’ and fulltime students’ tickets are £48 with camping at £10. Stewards’ tickets are £48 (including camping). These prices are valid until 31st January; subsequent prices are shown on the website. A booking form is attached and will also be available from the website. The latest draft of the programme is now up, but remember this may be subject to changes, so keep an eye on it. The 2023 dance-writing competition is open (this year for Contras) and full details are at: https://mayheydays.org.uk/rules23.html We have also updated other website pages, for example with respect to local Evesham info on camping, other accommodation, eateries etc, as provided by the Tourist Information office. We have had discussion with the school about feedback from this year’s event and they have already or will be making some improvements based on your suggestions. These include a higher field security-fence, increased cleaning staff levels, better sound partitions in some halls and improved gate security/lighting. Leaving times for campers staying over until the Tuesday morning have been revised to avoid any conflict with staff work needs and children arriving for the normal school day. We will discuss catering aspects with the head caterer in January and will advise later on the menu options. Thank you for your continuing support for May Heydays and we hope to see you over next year's May bank holiday weekend. Keep well and best wishes Monty, for The May Heydays Team PS: if you wish to unsubscribe from this list do let me know.

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May Heydays 2023 - ticket sales and updates
by Announcements for May HeyDays 01 Oct '22

01 Oct '22

Dear Supporters May Heydays, 28th April - 1st May 2023 The May Heydays team is pleased to announce that Early-bird tickets for 2023 are now on sale. Prices are £97 per person for a weekend ticket, with £20pp for camping. Under 18s’ and fulltime students’ tickets are £48 with camping at £10. Stewards’ tickets are £48 (including camping). These prices are valid until 31st January; subsequent prices are shown on the website. A booking form is attached and will also be available from the website. The latest draft of the programme is now up, but remember this may be subject to changes, so keep an eye on it. The 2023 dance-writing competition is open (this year for Contras) and full details are at: https://mayheydays.org.uk/rules23.html We have also updated other website pages, for example with respect to local Evesham info on camping, other accommodation, eateries etc, as provided by the Tourist Information office. We have had discussion with the school about feedback from this year’s event and they have already or will be making some improvements based on your suggestions. These include a higher field security-fence, increased cleaning staff levels, better sound partitions in some halls and improved gate security/lighting. Leaving times for campers staying over until the Tuesday morning have been revised to avoid any conflict with staff work needs and children arriving for the normal school day. We will discuss catering aspects with the head caterer in January and will advise later on the menu options. Thank you for your continuing support for May Heydays and we hope to see you over next year's May bank holiday weekend. Keep well and best wishes The May Heydays Team

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May Heydays circulation list
by Announcements for May HeyDays 20 May '22

20 May '22

Hi, Fellow Folkdancers Now that the dust has settled on our first - and successful! - May Heydays folkdance festival in Evesham, I am looking at updating our email circulation list of ongoing supporters. Many of the names on our list were inherited from the Eastbourne International Folkdance Festival and may not be known personally to Mecki and me as MHD directors. Or, I may have lost the link between your email and name in the early days of taking over the festival. So, as a start, I am sending this note to those emails on the list for which I have no first, second or full name. If you wish to stay on our list, would you please reply with this info? If I do not hear from you by, say, the end of June, I will assume you no longer wish to be informed about our future plans and will take you off the list, so as not to trouble you with further circulations. Thanks Regards Monty Crook May Heydays Ticketing

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May Heydays update
by Announcements for May HeyDays 19 Mar '22

19 Mar '22

Dear Festival Supporters, We are pleased to be able to report that the preparations for May Heydays 2022 are progressing well. Programme Updates: The programme is quite stable (though I wouldn't print it out just yet!). We have recently added the Jane Austen Dancers from Bath; they will do a workshop and a couple of performances on Sunday as well as joining in some of the dance sessions with the rest of us. Further events have been added for your delectation: • Mike Courthold will run two American workshops • John Sweeney is offering a waltz workshop on Sunday • James Eisner is on our books to do a couple of singing workshops • Daisy Black will weave a story or two…… • Jenny Norris is leading French/Breton sessions with Confluence • Work is in progress to set up some music sessions, so do bring along your musical instruments! If you are interested in calling, we are considering putting on a calling workshop - in addition to the Callers' Round event to be led by Brian Stanton. Let me know asap if you would like to take part, and we’ll go ahead with this! It will be in a hall with a PA system available for recorded music (bring your own recordings) and an experienced caller on hand. If you would be happy to volunteer as a guinea-pig dancer, watch out for the workshop and just turn up! Meanwhile, we’ve had good discussions with the caterers and will soon be able to add full details of the menus and the meal voucher system to the website. We will be encouraging you to buy vouchers in advance to reduce queuing at meal times. A small set-back for us was to learn that work is underway at the school to upgrade, amongst other things, building names and room numbers – making some of the site maps & plans already drawn up redundant. Ah well, something else for Monty to ably sort out………… Can I remind our supporters with roll-over tickets to let us know as soon as they can of their intentions this year. And to our wider group of supporters, please check out the programme on the website, and see if this new/old venture of ours is enough to persuade you that the time is coming to dip your toes back into the dancing arena – and May Heydays 2022 is the place to do it! Day tickets are also now on sale! May I end with a plea for a photographer to step forward? We have lost our planned volunteer and would really like someone to capture our first May Heydays for posterity. That in itself should be a sufficient incentive but there is also a free weekend ticket up for grabs, free camping and long lasting gratitude and relief! Keep safe and we hope to see as many of you as possible at Evesham. Mecki Director

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May Heydays 2022
by Announcements for May HeyDays 27 Jan '22

27 Jan '22

Dear Supporters May Heydays News We thank you once again for your previous support for EIFF and your interest in our fledgling moved to Evesham; and hope that 2022 finds you in good health - and waiting for May Heydays to finally start! Programme: Our Director, Mecki, has had the artists lined up for some time but the committee took the decision to wait until January before reviewing things and seeing what sort of programme could be devised. The committee is now out of hibernation and the plans for the 2022 festival are taking shape. Envisaging a reduced number of attendees compared to 2020, we are, initially, setting up a three-tier festival: two American/English events plus one International from Friday evening until Monday lunchtime, followed by our joint Monday afternoon dance. Check things out on: https://mayheydays.org.uk/ See the programme page for the latest info and the Venue page for pictures of the 3 planned dance halls. If we get more bookings than would comfortably fit into 3 halls, we will extend the programme to the 4th hall. Tickets: In view of the late start, we have decided to keep the ticketing simpler this year, with the Friday - Monday full weekend ticket price set at £97 and £48 for concessions (as planned for the shorter event of Friday – Sunday back in 2020). Camping will be held at its same rate of £20. Booking forms will be on the Tickets page in time to start new sales on February 1st. Day and evening tickets will be available later, at prices of £48 (£24 concessions) for All Day and £14 (£7) for Evening tickets. Concerning Covid: things are still fluid but it does look hopeful that the situation will have improved come May. Our folk dancing activity is a particular case, involving, as it does, touching, close contact, meeting lots of partners, plus, often, laughter and noise – all in an indoor setting. We therefore think that people should ideally be triple vaccinated and take a lateral flow test as a sensible precaution prior to coming to Evesham – plus of course not to come if having any flu/cold-like symptoms. We would hope that all our committed attendees are prepared to follow the applicable guidelines at the time, whether those dictated by government or plain common sense. The next 3 months: Keep an eye on the website in the lead up to our event to stay abreast of plans and changes. We will be providing site plans to help in finding your way around the new Venue and updating info on Where to Stay (awaiting updated information from Evesham T.I.C.), on the planned menus (see Food), an updated train timetable (see FAQ) plus any other useful information. Finally: be assured one and all, it is our intention to run a festival unless circumstances contrive to stop us doing so. In the event of not being able to go ahead, the committee has agreed that we will refund all ticket sums held at that point and re-set for 2023. Festival Committee, January 2020

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May Heydays - looking forward to 2022!
by Announcements for May HeyDays 19 Jan '21

19 Jan '21

Dear May Heydays Dancers, As we all know, Covid is here to stay for quite some time yet, and we therefore don’t think that we can run our festival this year. There is really no way we could guarantee the safety of you, our dancers, or our performers and, even if we did try to run it, it probably wouldn't be financially viable due to reduced attendance - if the government would even allow it. Plus, of course, insurance could well be an issue. Prior to booking our performers for 2022, we will consult with the other relevant festivals to find out which acts they are planning to book for next year, so that, between us, we can provide you with a varied programme. We will start planning for next year's festival in the autumn and will keep you updated on our plans as they take shape. One innovation we may try is offering some concerts as maybe people newly back to dancing won't want to dance all day long? If you have any other suggestions for 2022's programme, we'd be delighted to hear from you. Anyone who would now like a refund of 2020's carried forward ticket, please contact : tickets(a)mayheydays.org.uk. Monty will contact you if he does not have your bank details (your name as it appears on your account, sort code and account number). But, if you have changed bank details, do advise him. Many of you agreed to donate a sum (say, 5%) to the festival last year; anyone who didn’t and now wishing to do so, do let us know. Refunds requests can be made at any time and will processed in the order they are received. Please allow some time for this; if we don’t hear from you, monies will be held over for 2022. Looking forward to the time when we can all meet again. The May Heydays Team -- Tel 01308 423 442

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May Heydays - postponement to 2021
by Announcements for May HeyDays 17 Mar '20

17 Mar '20

May Heydays Hopefuls, In view of the general situation – the government telling over 70s to stay at home for the next 3 months, event organisers including folk dance clubs cancelling events nationwide and our foreign callers being stopped from coming into the country (or getting back home) - the committee has decided that we cannot run May Heydays in 2020. We will therefore postpone it until next year. As previously stated, you can have your ticket money held over for 2021 or apply for a refund, to tickets(a)mayheydays.org.uk. Those who booked for camping could, if they wish, elect for a refund just of the camping money (unless they paid via the agency). Please note that we cannot make cheque payments so your refund request will be processed by a bank transfer. Whilst we do have the bank info from payments received by cheque, to be on the safe side please confirm them to us. If you paid by bank transfer direct to May Heydays we will also need you to let us have the full relevant re-payment details (account name, sort code, account number). You may do this, for example, by a single email to tickets(a)mayheydays.org.uk, by split of info in two or more emails, or by phone to Monty Crook on 01308 423 442. For the limited number who booked via WeGotTickets, you will also have the option to hold your money over to next year. Any refund requested will be paid by the agency. We will give more info on this when we have confirmed the details. Please give us a couple of weeks to consult with everyone who may have incurred costs on our behalf. Most of our suppliers/performers/De Montfort school will not charge us anything at all, so the total of incurred costs we will need to recover will be quite minor in the great scheme of things. Once we know what our total cost is for 2020, we will apportion this cost to all ticket holders (except, for those paying via WeGotTickets, where we will not be able to make any such retention). We will have a full bank holiday festival next year (unless the government decides to delay VE Day celebrations for a year!) - for which we have lined up Geoff Cubitt, Colin Hume and Kalia Kliban as our main callers and a wide variety of bands: Contrasaurus, ECDB, Knotted Chord, Jon Berger & friends, Keeping Thyme, Momentum, Portland Drive and the Derby duo of Doug Eunson and Sarah Matthews. We have not yet booked an International dance teacher but will do so in due course. So, something to look forward to at the end of this tunnel! Note that the ticket prices for next year will be somewhat higher than for this year's shortened festival, and there will be a small extra amount to pay for those who do not request a refund this year. We are very sorry to be the bearer of such disappointing (but probably not unexpected) news, especially as we have all invested many hours in getting it off the ground, and, of course, we were looking forward to the weekend as much as you. It was not to be. We extend our best wishes for good health during the coming difficult months. The May Heydays Committee Tel 01308 423 442

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Dance competition and ticket deadline
by Announcements for May HeyDays 31 Jan '20

31 Jan '20

1. May Heydays: Annual Original Dance Competition The festival proposes in this and future years to invite any caller out there to devise an original composition to be danced and judged by dancers at the event, with a single winner. The author's attendance at the festival would be very welcome but is not a condition of entry. This year's genre will be "Playford-style", by which loose term we mean a dance which might have been published between 1651 and 1801. The tune used will not be part of the competition, but may be new or existing, or a description can be given of the music required (such as 3 x 32 bar smooth jigs). The dance must be suitable for an ordinary dance club in England, rather than for a display team or workshop. Full rules for the competition will be published shortly. 2. The Deadline is Nigh Today's the day, so don't delay, to book your place at May Heydays It must be said, no other way, tomorrow morn the price we raise…... Early-bird weekend ticket today: £85 Weekend ticket from Feb 1st: £97 (With apologies to those already booked and anyone who appreciates accomplished verse). Mecki and the team

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Workshops - a clarification
by Announcements for May HeyDays 28 Jan '20

28 Jan '20

The wording in our previous mail on workshops to be provided by Carol and Joanna seems to have led to some confusion. It was not our intention that those who have booked for the weekend had to state which workshops they would attend. It was to give the chance to be involved in developing the programme by asking people to vote which of the offered workshops they would like to see included over the weekend. The choices on offer can be accessed via the Programme page on the website - which leads to the following page: mayheydays.org.uk/choices.html You can vote for up to 6 of Carol's offered nine workshops, and up to 5 of Joanna's offered ten. Mecki will base her selection on the votes received. Saturday's Costume Ball Due to the popularity of the Saturday Ball we have decided to utilize our "spare" hall, the large gym, if at all possible. We will have to get some anti-reverberation measures in place to overcome issues that hearing aid users may have with the acoustics. We are working on that. So, please bear with us, while we try to sort this out. Meanwhile, please keep stating your ball preferences on the booking form. Mecki and the team

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May Heydays Update
by Announcements for May HeyDays 26 Jan '20

26 Jan '20

Dear Supporters IT’S ON THE UP! Come all ye festival supporters, toe-tapping sons and swinging daughters, All those who’ve not yet filled the urge to book a ticket, make a splurge, The time is nigh so act at once, delay no longer, be no dunce The ‘Early-bird’ will soon take flight and disappear on Br*x*t night - From Feb the 1st the cost gets higher - read it on a May Heydays flyer. We want you, one, we want you all, we’re waiting here to take your call Come book in droves, you dancing host, online, by email, pigeon post, Remember though, the deadline’s tight, Jan 31st, at 12, midnight! A weekend ticket for May Heydays costs £85 until Friday, then moves to £97! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Further news: 1. Workshop Preferences Those who are booked and have not yet done so are invited to pick their preferred workshops: by Carol Ormand <http://www.mayheydays.org.uk/choices.html#Carol> and Joanna Reiner <http://www.mayheydays.org.uk/choices.html#Joanna>. Just reply to this mail with your selection. 2. Costume Balls The Saturday ball has now reached its pre-bookings limit. However, it will be up to Joanna to decide when we have a full house. Dancers who have not booked are welcome to queue in the hope of getting in. The good news is that Rhodri's Sunday evening ball still has pre-booking places left. Dancers can also queue on the night (last year everyone who wanted got in). 3. New Callers Keeping up the Eastbourne tradition of offering new festival callers a training experience, we have a double session "New Callers' Showcase" on Saturday afternoon. If you wish to take part, please reply to this mail and we will pass your name on to Rhodri and John who will be your mentors in 2020. So far, these sessions are under-subscribed - we'll pinch the second slot for a surprise workshop if numbers remain low (last year we had 6 callers). 4. Callers' Forum For the first time, this year we are offering a double "Callers' Round". These are two workshops where callers can discuss issues close to their heart. Colin Hume has volunteered to facilitate one of these, we are not sure yet who will do the second one. We're open to offers. 5. Sorry Love, Tea Dance is Off! The tea dance will not be happening this year as too few of last year's 'trainee' callers wished to take part. With a shortened weekend, we'll to use the hall for other things. We are all really pleased by our weekend numbers so far (currently 170, with 37% new to the festival) but please don't worry about space. We have a spare hall!!! Mecki and the team Tel 01308 423 442

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Points of Interest
by Announcements for May HeyDays 13 Jan '20

13 Jan '20

An Update on How We Are Doing - and Points of Interest. 1. Attendance It's a pleasure to report we have just received our 150th weekend booking - ahead of last year at this time (131). Over 35% of these are newcomers to us - including two from Brisbane! But, we'd like at least 50 more (100, says Mecki !). Lots of our regulars are still to put pen to paper - so, remember you have until 31st January to book at £85 a ticket - then it goes to £97. 2. Callers' Showcase As in the past few years, we will be running the Callers' Showcase. So, if you are a newish caller who would like to call at May Heydays, please reply to this mail, and we'll pass your name on to Rhodri and John who will be leading the workshop. Feedback will be given behind the scenes, while the next caller starts explaining their dance. That way we'll get through more dances than was the case last year, and it should be a more satisfying experience for everyone involved. 3. The Hard of Hearing We've had a mail from a dancer affected by hearing loss, and we want to ensure all can enjoy the weekend. The points raised have been discussed with callers, the sound team and the school; all will do their level best to make our weekend a pleasurable experience for EVERYONE, not just those who have no trouble with their hearing! An advice sheet has been developed for callers and the sound team which will give tips on how to facilitate the process of enabling everyone on the dance floor to have the chance to hear what the caller is saying. This will include using a microphone on the dance floor when demonstrating a figure, for example. However, it is important that everyone in the room is considerate and keeps the noise down, especially during walk-throughs. As we all know, noise levels can be high and difficult for all dancers, not just those with hearing issues! From looking at the venue pictures, fears were raised that there will be reverberation issues with some of the halls. We have spoken with - and been round - the school twice, with a member of the sound team. The smaller gym has had some remedial work done which, we have been assured, has addressed reverberation issues in that particular hall. The only other hall known to suffer from reverberation is the Large Gym. This is a space suitable for over a hundred dancers but in view of current number expectations we do not anticipate its use this year. Should numbers rise substantially, such that we need this Gym, we'll look into working on the reverberation issue beforehand. The guide for callers regarding hearing loss issues will be published shortly on Facebook. The whole team is keen to hear of further points anyone would like to see added. 4. Carol's Workshop Programme. Once you have booked to come, you get the chance to participate in the Programming Process! Carol Ormand has sent us a list of 9 possible workshops. Unfortunately, we only have space for six! Have a look at this page: http://www.mayheydays.org.uk/choices.html. It gives you the chance to state your preferences. Voting closes on 31 January! Mecki Testroet, Director Monty Crook, Ticketing -- Tel 01308 423 442

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Update
by Announcements for May HeyDays 20 Nov '19

20 Nov '19

Dear Festival Supporters, I'd like to give you an update on how May Heydays is doing. The good news is that we've just had our 100th + 101st bookings; so, thank you, Elizabeth and Sheila from the Cardiff area – a complimentary bottle of bubbly awaits you at May Heydays! That's over 100 dancers not counting stewards, concessions, performers and other helpers (like the committee). This number is 60% higher than the number of bookings we had at the same time last year; it’s just lovely that you have booked so early and especially gratifying that over 25% of bookings are newcomers. We can all discover the delights of Evesham and the De Montfort School together! The current main points of interest are: We still meet dancers who haven't heard that the 2020 May bank holiday date was moved from Monday 4th to Friday 8th in 2020. That is the only reason we will have to stop on Sunday evening. We look forward to going back to a full bank holiday weekend in 2021. Preparations are going well. One good bit of ‘news for campers’: if you have a dog you would like to bring along, you can. Naturally, they have to be kept under control at all times and can only be walked in the designated areas (this will be made clear when you arrive). No pet dogs are allowed in the school buildings. Dance display news: we will have the Stratford Renaissance Dance group performing Sunday lunchtime; they are also leading a workshop. I have invited Black Adder Morris, a team with a vigorous and original style, to come along and entertain us. To add yet more colour, the Polish folk dance group Wieśniacy (roughly, ‘Veeshnatsa’, = Folks) has expressed an interest in performing. I'll keep you informed once we know the details. We still have vacancies for stewards. As we are a completely new team, we do not know you as well as the previous team did. So, if, for example, you are quite happy to chip in a bit of your time and help stewarding at a workshop or dance without becoming an "official steward", can you please make yourself known to Jeannie (stewards(a)mayheydays.org.uk) or me (director(a)mayheydays.org.uk). That would be really helpful. Thanks. Please help us to keep spreading the word and if you are interested and haven’t done so, do book soon. We have plenty of dance space in reserve should numbers rise above 250, which is one of the attractions of our exciting new venue. We look forward to seeing you there! Mecki Director

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May Heydays Tickets sales
by Announcements for May HeyDays 30 Sep '19

30 Sep '19

It is very satisfying to report that sales are going well with numbers more than double the number for the corresponding period last year and including about 25% of newcomers to the festival. Many thanks to those who have got in early! Remember, today is the last day for Super Early-bird tickets with the opportunity to buy 2020 T shirts at cost price (£7.50) and post free. From tomorrow, Early-bird tickets will be on sale at £85 per person with our T shirts at £9.50 plus postage. Don't delay, buy today! Monty Crook May Heydays Ticketing

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May Heydays
by Announcements for May HeyDays 08 Sep '19

08 Sep '19

Dear Fellow Dancers, Now that most of the festivals are over for 2019, it is time to look ahead to 2020. Where better to look than at May Heydays? http://mayheydays.org.uk Remember, we've had to shorten the festival by one day due to the government moving the bank holiday from 4th May to 8th May next year – but we’ve had to lose only one band. We will finish at 22.30 hours on Sunday night. We have a full programme ready and waiting (not set in stone yet, obviously). In addition to last year's programme, we will have Scottish dancing, we have a walks organizer who will prepare local walks of various lengths and there may be singing and music workshops but that is dependent on enough people booking. We will have camping on the school field (for tents, caravans and camper vans) with 24/7 accessible shower and toilet facilities a few yards away. Hook-ups will be available on a hard standing area for disabled campers. (Please let Monty have your requirements when booking.) Dogs ARE allowed on the field (but not in the school). Obviously, they need to be supervised, you need to pick up after them and a walking area will be designated. The school is being extremely cooperative and we are confident that any issue arising concerning the facilities will be sorted out there and then. For those of you who wish to stay in hotels or elsewhere, there is info on our "Where to stay" page . Bookings are open, but the Super Early-bird ticket sales will close on 30th September. Please consider also the time-limited offer of 2020 T shirts at cost price and with free postage, to help us get the message out there in your area. Early-bird online bookings will open October 1st. If you're sending in postal applications, please be patient during September, as replies may be delayed due to holiday commitments. All applications received by the end of the month will, naturally, be eligible for the lowest prices. As every year, we need stewards. We have made some changes regarding the organisation of stewarding activities. Please go to the stewards page for further info. As people who have stewarded at Eastbourne will tell you: stewarding is fun! We have photos to prove it! So, don't delay, send off your booking form today! Mecki Testroet Festival Director

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May Heydays 2020 arrangements
by Announcements for May HeyDays 25 Jul '19

25 Jul '19

Dear Dancers, An update on 2020 arrangements We have now heard back from the school. Word is that we cannot use the school on Monday, 4 May, if it is not a bank holiday. However, indoor campers and camper vans on hard standing will be able to stay until Monday morning, 7.30am; campers who are on the playing fields will have to leave by 10am. A number of people wrote to their MPs and signed this petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/242483. The petition has over 6000 signatures now (do sign and pass it on by all means) but all the MPs' replies so far were noncommittal or negative and the relevant ministry sounds adamant that they will not change their minds on this. With the change of prime minister, parliament has other things to worry about. So, we think, we have to resign ourselves to the fact that we can't have the Monday. This means that we will dance until 10.30pm on Sunday night, so, what you will be missing out on are the Monday morning workshops and the afternoon dance. We will adjust our ticket prices downwards to reflect the loss of dancing time. We shall reopen ticket sales at the beginning of September. Keep an eye on the website for further information to be put up once we have finalised the modified programme and confirmed the adjusted ticket prices. It is very unfortunate that this is happening to us at the time of moving the festival. There's only one thing for it: we'll just have to dance faster! The Committee -- Tel 01308 423 442

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Change of May Bank Holiday 2020
by Announcements for May HeyDays 11 Jun '19

11 Jun '19

Dear May Heydays/EIFF Supporter With the news that the May 4th Bank Holiday in 2020 is being moved to Friday May 8th, we would like to update you on the plans for the festival. The school is seeking to keep Monday 4th May as a holiday and have a normal school day on Friday 8th. However, they will require the permission of the local educational authorities to do this, which may take some time - perhaps until the end of this school year. We have advised the school that the input we have received so far from performers and attendees is to stick to the original dates. Programme re-scheduling would allow us to release performers having to work a normal Monday. We are thinking of offering a reduced season ticket price for Friday to Sunday for any attendees who also might have to work Monday 4th. We are discussing with the school the possibility of a reduced Monday programme with fewer halls if indeed children would have to be in school that day. Not ideal, but an option. Catering on the Monday might be an issue and we are looking at options for that. Likewise indoor camping Sunday night would become an issue, as would outdoor camping. All of these are part of ongoing discussions. We are sure the school will be as helpful as they can be to resolve issues. One less preferred option would be to end the festival on Sunday evening, which would have many implications: our cost/income structure, bookings already made for hotels, etc. In view of these current uncertainties we have decided to suspend our sale of Super Early-bird tickets until we are clear on what we can offer. We know of two petitions to the government to keep May 4th as Bank Holiday, with or without Friday 8th as well. We also know that some supporters have written to their MPs on the matter (a draft could be mailed to you if of interest). If you feel strongly enough about this wholly unnecessary complication dumped on the nation by short-sighted government action we can only suggest that you consider doing likewise. Rest assured, this festival will go ahead and be as good and comprehensive as we can make it! Mecki Director

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May Bank Holiday 2020 and May Heydays Festival
by Announcements for May HeyDays 08 Jun '19

08 Jun '19

Hi This comes from Mecki Testroet as director of May Heydays 2020. I am writing to all EIFF/May Heydays supporters, booked performers and other interested parties with respect to May Heydays 2020 at Evesham, in light of the government decision announced yesterday to move the May 2020 Bank Holiday from Monday 4th May to Friday 8th May. My apologies if some of you get a similar mail more than once due to being on more than one list. As organisers we now have the added complication of having to decide whether to stick with the 1st – 4th weekend or move the festival to Thursday 7th – Sunday 10th May. The Evesham school will let us know shortly if they can close on the 4th to honour our booking. We will also ask whether they could host the festival from Thursday 7th to Sunday 10th May. If the school CAN still accommodate us from 1st - 4th May, we are inclined to stick to those dates but appreciate that some artists and supporters may actually have to go into their work on the Monday. For performers we could try to counteract that with programming on Monday those who would still be able to attend that day. Could you let us know as soon as possible what your own situation as a possible attendee might be if we stick with 1st – 4th May AND if we move to 7th - 10th? Thank you for that and any other comments. We are astounded at this late decision by the government which is bound to affect adversely thousands of people and you might be interested to know a petition has already been started to try to get 8th May declared as an additional not a re-scheduled Bank Holiday. If interested, click this link to sign the petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/263961/sponsors/new?token=IoDnyddN… Regards Mecki Testroet Please reply to director(a)mayheydays.org.uk

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