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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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