WW2015: Corinna writes

So there it is then. Another Weird Weekend has come to an end and it is now back to normality (whatever that is).

Apart from Woolsery and surrounding villages being fog-bound on the Thursday night with the heavens above sprinkling down a continual fine rain that quickly and deftly saturated all who dared stand outside the marquee on the lawn, the event seemed to go remarkably smoothly. 

Big thanks go to the The Small School in Hartland for letting us be weird on their premises and also to all those that prepared, cooked and served delicious meals, made scrumptious cakes and cookies, and were on hand with endless cups of refreshing tea and coffee, as well as drinks of other kinds.

And big thanks also to Andy, Amy and Charlotte for putting up and looking after Ronan, and to Andrea, Steve and their brood for looking after Lars and his son. Your kindness is much appreciated.

Read on...

WW2015: Images from Day Two

WW2015: Images from Day One

WW2015: The cocktail party

And so, dear friends, the Weird Weekend 2015 has begun. And it began in typically eccentric style with over 30 people in a marquee on my lawn in the pouring rain. Tequila was drunk, and music was played courtesy of the lovely Stargrace and the equally lovely Dogleg. Later in the evening they were joined by my old mucker Davey Curtis of the up-and-coming blues ensemble Auld Man's Baccy.I have wanted to have live music at the Weird Weekend cocktail party anytime these past few years, and it seemed oddly appropriate that the first time we managed it, it was in the midst of a deluge of Biblical proportions. 

It all went very well. Nobody died. No one was injured. There were no fights. Nothing got broken and nobody got annoyingly drunk, not even me. Even the dogs behaved themselves, and my beloved Mother-in-law was seen with a glass of champagne in one hand nodded her head rhythmically to a raucous acoustic medley of Black Sabbath songs. A splendid time, as Mr Kite  promised, was had by all.

Today the focus of events moves to The Small School in Hartland. By the time assorted flower children got to Woodstock they were half a million strong; i am only expecting a fraction of this number to the Weird Weekend tonight, but all indications are that it will be an enjoyable and informative affair.

Om Shanti, Jon 

WEIRD WEEKEND 2014: The programme for this year's event

Mark's final WW Video

WEIRD WEEKEND 2014: A Query from Dan Holdsworth

Jon,

As you know, during Weird Weekends I normally stay in a B & B
to the north-west of Woolsery; Hescott Farm. Just before the main road
there is a monumental gateway on the left, with a curious inscription
on it:

http://goo.gl/maps/efro2

Omega, thou art last I'm sure
As Alpha is in the east
And thou'lt be last for ever more
Til endless ages cease.
When I am dead and gone
these verses will remain
To show who wrote thereof
By working of the brain

James Berriman
New Inn
Clovelly   Jan 10th 1902

Now, I'm willing to bet that almost nobody, not even locals such as
yourself, will have spotted this plaque. The writing is too small to
read from a car; only someone on a bike such as myself would be able to
stop and satisfy their curiosity (incidentally, a bike is the ideal
vehicle for a quiet nosey-parker round any area if you're so inclined).

So, it might make quite a nice quiz question and in any case lends itself to giving the Weird Weekend an air of, well, weirdness.

It certainly puzzles me, anyway, and there are few other mysteries on
that section of road, with the exception of the strange bright shiny
thing...

--
Dan H.

HUNT EMERSON REMEMBERS WW2013

TICKETS FOR WW2014 NOW ON SALE

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
RICHARD FREEMAN: Tasmania 2013 Expedition
NIGEL MORTIMER: Opening Portals
MAX BLAKE: Genetics for Cryptozoologists
RONAN COGHLAN: Bogus bibles
RONAN COGHLAN: Oannes and the amphibians from outer space
GLEN VAUDREY: Sky beasts
NICK WADHAM: Alien abductions
MATT SALUSBURY: The Pygmy elephants of Kerala
NEIL NIXON: tba
LEE WALKER: Urban Legends of Liverpool, Timeslips in Otterspool and the Death Predicting Hound of Liverpool's Oldest Pub

https://www.facebook.com/weirdweekend2014

BUY YOUR TICKETS EARLY TO SECURE A PLACE
Numbers are limited and we would hate you to be disappointed..

CURRENTLY CONFIRMED (WITH TEN MONTHS TO GO)

RICHARD FREEMAN: Tasmania 2013 Expedition
NIGEL MORTIMER: Opening Portals
MAX BLAKE: Genetics for Cryptozoologists
RONAN COGHLAN: Bogus bibles
RONAN COGHLAN: Oannes + the amphibians from outer space
GLEN VAUDREY: Sky beasts
NICK WADHAM: Alien abductions
MATT SALUSBURY: Baron Walter Rotschild's Deinotherium caper
NEIL NIXON: tbav LEE WALKER: Urban Legends of Liverpool, Timeslips in Otterspool and the Death Predicting Hound of Liverpool's Oldest Pub

PLUS

+ Silas Hawkins
+ The Tunnel of Goats

More attractions will be announced soon...

WEIRD WEEKEND 2013: Lars Thomas

WEIRD WEEKEND 2013: James Newton

WEIRD WEEKEND 2013: Sarah Boait

WEIRD WEEKEND 2013: Jon Downes Keynote Speech

WEIRD WEEKEND 2013: Ronan Coghlan

WEIRD WEEKEND 2013: Lars Thomas and Nick Wadham

WEIRD WEEKEND 2013: Richard Freeman in the Tunnel of Goats

WEIRD WEEKEND 2013: Guess who

WEIRD WEEKEND 2013: Ronan Coghlan (1)/Lee Walker

LIZ BITAKARAMIRE: Day Four at the Weird Weekend 2013

And so to the final day. As we bid farewell to Woolfardisworthy, but only for a year at the most, what have we learnt? Sarah and Maya taught us about orbs and how to catch them on camera ourselves. Ronan told tales of leprechauns and Irish kings. We had James Newton on Bigfoot and Lars on the cryptozoology of Greenland as well as that of Jon's garden, a talk he co-hosted with Nick Wadham. 

At the end of Ronan's speech Jon was presented with a signed Weird Weekend poster as a thank you for all the hard work he had done, and then the man himself delivered his customary keynote speech. Many were moved as he spoke of the passing of Mick Farren, and excited when Jon announced that there would indeed be a Weird Weekend 2014 if he had anything to do with it. Unlike the Pope, Jonathan Downes will not be abdicating his throne just yet, dudes....

LIZ BITAKARAMIRE: Day Three At Weird Weekend 2013

First was another sumptuous breakfast courtesy of Becky at Higher West Town, this time including bacon done EXACTLY the way I like it, which is a rare thing in this world, believe me. Blogging came soon after and then it was time to head down to the community centre for the talks. 

First up was An Introduction to Cryptozoology by the dons of the subject, Jonathan Downes and Richard Freeman. Anybody who didn't know when they got there what cryptozoology was left very much the wiser. Barry Tadcaster and Ken the orang pendek then introduced the next speaker: Nick Wadham on the true nature of fairies, and reading from his book on the subject soon to be published by the CFZ. Today was when Paul at last joined the proceedings and filmed these two first talks on the iPhone, afterwards exclaiming how he had enjoyed himself. 

Unfortunately we did miss the first part of the next talk through getting carried away chatting in the bar with Ronan and Steve Jones so we decided to take a trip into Bideford, returning in time for the CFZ Awards where many excited volunteers hoped desperately to reach the pinnacle of achievement that is the golden baboon. This year's lucky recipients were Yvonne Robertson, Jessica and Jo Heard, Jessica Taylor, Timmy Cornish, Matthew Knight,

Dr Dan Holdsworth and Mark Raines. 

Other highlights included Shaun Histed-Todd's Civilisation X speech and Darren Naish on his blog and book Tetrapod Zoology. Unfortunately I didn't make it to the expedition talks or Judge Smith's but I will be purchasing a copy of the latter's book, and waiting semi-patiently for the YouTube videos.