three acres and a cow at tolpuddle martyr’s festival

tolpuddleReally happy to announce that I am performing ‘Three Acres And A Cow – A History Of Land Rights And Protest In Folk Song And Story’ with Rachel Rose Reid at the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival this year.

I think we are on Sunday afternoon in the Martyrs’ Marquee but this may change so do check the schedule if you are planning on heading down.

This festival is a must for any one interested in music and politics. The Tolpuddle Martyrs’ were given hugely cruel sentences in the 1830’s for setting up an early union to campaign for agricultural labourers’ wages – their sentences were eventually overturned after massive nationwide outrage, laying foundations for all people campaigning for a fairer and more equal society ever since.

photos from leigh

Here are a few choice pictures from our epic weekend at Leigh Folk Festival – still my favourite festival of the year and this years was a stonker.

edinburgh fringe festival adventures

Wow – an epic week up at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in which Basia, Jane and I managed to clock up over twelve shows in a week!

Click on the above image to hear us play ‘The Suitors Ballyhoo’ on the last Pleasance podcast of the festival.

Highlights included an amazing show at the last Golden Hour for The Forest Cafe and a lovely moment when we got to serenade a group of Maths academics in The Pleasance Courtyard who got another group of friends to watch us play via skype on their laptop.

Podcast recording and filming … L-R: Paul on camera, Robin on guitar, Basia on violin, Jane on accordion and Al on microphones.

A slightly tired Basia and Jane having a nap on the train heading north to Edinburgh.

edinburgh fringe festival residency

The Pleasance Theatre in Islington have just invited me to Edinburgh during the fringe festival for a lunchtime folk residency.

Barbara and Jane will be joining me on accordion and violin; we will be playing at 1.45pm in The Pleasance Courtyard from 22nd-25th August.

You can buy tickets from here – http://www.pleasance.co.uk/edinburgh/events/robin-grey.

Other Edinburgh evening gigs to follow… if anyone has any leads do get in touch!