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Mostly Folk Radio Show

Chalk Horse's Mostly Folk is currently on a break.

The show's focus is primarily Sussex traditions, people, folklore and music from traditional folk song to singer-songwriter and past editions  are available here:

In April 2019 I spoke with Dave Rannie about the history of the Long Man Morris Men and the Morris year. 

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I spent a morning with Noel Dumbrell and his wife Doreen, chatting with Noel about his life and recording his songs. Noel lives locally and at the time of recording in 2015 was still out singing every week. This is Noel's version of  Buttercup Joe, with lyrics telling of the characters in the village of Ashurst, West Sussex, where he grew up.            

 In September 2019's edition Rosemary and her husband Bert talk about their hop picking experiences in the 1950s.

Here, Rosemary talks about her father, depicted in the postcard.

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Simon Meader of Hunters Moon Morris appears on a few shows, talking about Morris tradition. Here he is talking about The John Barleycorn song and dance performed  in the video. 

It was fantastic to meet Folklorist, Dr Jacqueline Simpson. Here's a snippet from the interview, where she tells us the story of The Lyminster Knucker

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Author of 'Sussex Folk Tales,' Michael O'Leary is a very entertaining storyteller. He makes an appearance in the June and July shows, telling of the Hawkhurst gang that terrorised Sussex and more.

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It was fantastic to meet Folklorist, Dr Jacqueline Simpson. Here's a snippet from the interview, where she tells us the story of The Lyminster Knucker

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​​Jez Smith lives in West Sussex and is taking an individual path, driven by his interests and his experience as a musician with partial deafness. He talks about Archaeoacoustics (the study of sound at historic sites), 16th Century Soundscapes and Intangible Cultural Heritage.

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Ami Bouhassane, Director at Farleys House & Gallery and the Trustee & Curator of Lee Miller Archives talks about her grandparents, Lee Miller & Roland Penrose. 

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November 2019's Mostly Folk was dedicated to The Moon & The Sledgehammer, an extraordinary documentary film about a real Sussex family, directed by Philip Trevelyan, filmed in 1969 and released in 1971.

Film maker Andrew Kötting talks about swans, Wilder Mann, straw bears and film making with Eden, his daughter.
Maxine Monaghan talks about her project photographing Birling Gap at night.

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Brian Hoggard has been researching the archaeology and history of folk magic since 1998. Clip about fairies from Brian here 

There's more from Brian in the October 2018

edition. Link to his website 

In April 2019 I spoke with Dave Rannie about the history of the Long Man Morris Men and the Morris year. 

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Fiona Durling's grandmother, Maude Simmons, is pictured here. Fiona grew up helping her grandparents with their commercial orchard and talks about Sussex apple varieties, her work with Pevensey & Westham Community Forest Garden and Brighton Permaculture. Folklore and poetry along the way. 

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Noel Dumbrell.png

I spent a morning with Noel Dumbrell and his wife Doreen, chatting with Noel about his life and recording his songs. Noel lives locally and at the time of recording in 2015 was still out singing every week. This is Noel's version of  Buttercup Joe, with lyrics telling of the characters in the village of Ashurst, West Sussex, where he grew up.            

 In September 2019's edition Rosemary and her husband Bert talk about their hop picking experiences in the 1950s.

Here, Rosemary talks about her father, depicted in the postcard.

IMG_3184.JPG

Simon Meader of Hunters Moon Morris appears on a few shows, talking about Morris tradition. Here he is talking about The John Barleycorn song and dance performed  in the video. 

Andrew Franks features across a few episodes. 'Sunflower Eclipse over Troia Nova' is Franks' third book from independent Sussex publishers, Soul Bay Press.

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Screen Shot 2018-08-24 at 18.03.46.png
Screen Shot 2018-08-24 at 20.47.18.png
Screen Shot 2019-10-18 at 12.17.42.png

Author of 'Sussex Folk Tales,' Michael O'Leary is a very entertaining storyteller. He makes an appearance in the June and July 2019 shows, telling of the Hawkhurst gang that terrorised Sussex and more.

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