After a 2 year gap Adstocktoberfest is back!!
This year, we were fully sheltered in “Rural Ronnie’s” our new live(stock) stage and we needed to be as the weather was atrocious, but that didn’t stop a huge amount of folk coming and creating the best atmosphere we’ve had at Adstocktoberfest.
As usual Nick Kelly and Richard Inman started the day off with the cider making, helped by a cohort of kids who were oblivious to the driving rain. As this was going on we had Duncan and Robert Pullar making spoons and walking sticks, Camilla Bignall displaying her wonderful pottery and Jonquil Bennett selling her beautiful paintings, who also made a lot of money for Afghanaid through auctioning a stunning picture of Adstockistan.. The Afghan Rug shop came all the way from Hebden Bridge and did a fair amount of trade and thank you so much to James and Anna Wilthew for once again making the effort to come down. All of this could be accompanied by a delicious burger from Dan Young’s Firefood BBQ.
The musical entertainment was proceeded by a prize giving for the liqueur and cider competitions judged stringently by Sue North and Robin from the Winslow Deli. Congratulations to Roger and Kate Simmonds for their 2 year old cider and to Jason and Heather Brogden for their clear winner of cherry plum brandy. Over 35 entries this year, I hope Sue is OK!?
Diana Booth-Medden and her Collaborative kicked off the music with a wonderful set of mellow songs for her beautiful voice with guest appearances from Paul Paling and daughter Georgie on Bass.
The best band in north east Adstock was on next with a relatively new set and included their fantastic new singer Liz Clarke (daughter of Jonquil the artist). Entertaining as usual, led by Marius Stuart this entirely Adstock band manages to up their game every year, but they’ve been going for 6 years and still haven’t decided on a name – something that must be done before the release of the first album.
The headline act as usual is our own guitar legend Paul Paling on guitar and the hugely talented Miles Nottage from Stowe on piano and vocals, but they brought Hannah White this year, a professional singer who teaches at BIMM as a vocal coach and performs all over the world, but came to Adstocktoberfest for free and blew us away. They were accompanied by a couple of Bass players including Georgie Paling who joined her dad and proved to be a real hit. A special thanks to Cliff Grensted on the drums who didn’t leave his stool all evening despite a row of empty pint mugs by the high hat, the man is proper rock and roll and an absolute legend, who played all night for 3 bands, all sorts of genres and never missed a beat!!
The evening was rounded off with all the musicians playing various songs as a super group, the highlight of which being 10 people on the stage playing Honky Tonk Woman accompanied by a chorus of cow bells in the crowd.
A huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed not just to the pot, but the music, the art, the food, the cider making but most importantly for creating the best atmosphere Adstocktoberfest has ever had. Over £2500 was raised at the event for Afghanaid, a great result.
