• 8 February 2023
  • Art
    Art
    An Abbots Bromley Horn Dancer clutches the antlers of an old reindeer skeleton. He is wearing his traditional dancing costume. The photo is by Henry Bourne and was taken in 2009.

    Making Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain – an exhibition

    Alex Merry's painting of Boss Morris dancing under the Cold Moon during winter. “Boss Morris are a’leaping on Haresfield Beacon under a full December ‘Cold’ moon. The beasts play by firelight, as the dancers wave their hankies to beckon in the festive season.”

    The Tradfolk guide to Christmas gifts for folkies

    Rhia Davenport of Weven, Stroud, stands in front of a white wall wearing a corn crown and a folkie white dress.

    Weven, Stroud: keeping traditional folk crafts alive

  • Customs
    Customs

    Discover traditional folk customs, rituals and traditions on the Tradfolk.co website. From wassailing to Yule, and the arc of the year in-between.

    A painting of the ritual portrayed in the Eve of St Agnes, by John Keats. The painting is of two young women in their bed chamber, observing a wraith-like character slumped on their bed. The painting is held at the Tate.

    Customs uncovered: St Agnes Eve, dumb cakes, and the prediction of the future

    The Whittlesea Straw Bear dances through the streets, followed by a bear keeper, several onlookers, and two smaller bears.

    An interview with the Whittlesea Straw Bear

    A painting of Old Father Christmas by William Ewart Lockhart, showing an old man with a long white beard, a white smock, a holly crown on his head, and a glass of wine in his hand. He is smiling and gesturing towards a feast on the table in front of him.

    Twelfth Night, Old Christmas and St Stephen’s Day… revisited

  • Music
  • Performance
    Performance
    John Spiers, or Squeezy as he is known, playing the melodeon in a black and white photograph advertising his appearance on the Old Songs Podcast discussing The Princess Royal.

    The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep8 – ‘Princess Royal’, ft. John Spiers

    Huginn and Munnin dance two-man Border Morris at an event. They are wearing tatter jackets and plague doctor masks.

    Huginn and Muninn: The Norse mythology-inspired Border dancers taking Morris to metalheads

    Tom Williams and Daniel Burston from Beltane Border Morris stand face to face, yelling as they dance. One of them has his tongue sticking out. They are both wearing top hats with pheasant feathers, as well as tatter coats.

    Tradfolk readers’ favourite Morris dance performance of 2022

  • Events
  • Podcasts
    Podcasts
    John Spiers, or Squeezy as he is known, playing the melodeon in a black and white photograph advertising his appearance on the Old Songs Podcast discussing The Princess Royal.

    The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep8 – ‘Princess Royal’, ft. John Spiers

    Jon Wilks plays guitar at Dorking Folk Club, 2018

    The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep7 – ‘The Gloucestershire Wassail / The Wassailing Song’, ft. Jon Wilks

    Burd Ellen, Debbie Armour and Gail Brogen, with flowers in their mouths. The image is black and white.

    The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep6 – ‘When I was on Horseback/ The Unfortunate Rake’, ft. Debbie Armour (Burd Ellen)

    • Podcasts
    • Our folk music playlists
  • Shop
  • Tradfolk 101
    Tradfolk 101

    Handbags and Broomsticks: Molly Dancing for the uninitiated

    A woggle hopping obstacle in the wild. The picture is actually of a red postbox in Wiltshire on a pretty summer's day, but woggle hopping often involved postboxes

    Customs uncovered: Woggle Hopping

    The source singer Cecilia Costello - photo by Bob Etheridge

    Women in folk: celebrating the source singers

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    The Best British Folk Songs as chosen by some of the country's favourite folk singers

    The Best British folk songs, as chosen by British folk singers

    John Spiers, or Squeezy as he is known, playing the melodeon in a black and white photograph advertising his appearance on the Old Songs Podcast discussing The Princess Royal.

    The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep8 – ‘Princess Royal’, ft. John Spiers

    David Morrissey and Robert Glenister star in the BBC's Sherwood, which used traditional mining songs as a soundtrack

    Which traditional songs were used in the BBC’s Sherwood?

    The folk singer Lisa Knapp stands in front of green trees, staring straight into the camera. Her hair is dyed blonde and she has a serious look on her face.

    Lisa Knapp and the LIVING soundtrack

    An Abbots Bromley Horn Dancer clutches the antlers of an old reindeer skeleton. He is wearing his traditional dancing costume. The photo is by Henry Bourne and was taken in 2009.

    Making Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain – an exhibition

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Marry Waterson

Nathaniel Mann, Marry Waterson and Lisa Knapp - the three members of Hack Poets Guild - stand in a row, with their visages sliced as if in a collage.
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Marry Waterson, daughter of the late, great Lal Waterson, discusses Bright Phoebus, the great lost album the looms large in her family history.
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Popular Articles

The Best British Folk Songs as chosen by some of the country's favourite folk singers

The Best British folk songs, as chosen by British folk singers

John Spiers, or Squeezy as he is known, playing the melodeon in a black and white photograph advertising his appearance on the Old Songs Podcast discussing The Princess Royal.

The Old Songs Podcast: Se2Ep8 – ‘Princess Royal’, ft. John Spiers

David Morrissey and Robert Glenister star in the BBC's Sherwood, which used traditional mining songs as a soundtrack

Which traditional songs were used in the BBC’s Sherwood?

The folk singer Lisa Knapp stands in front of green trees, staring straight into the camera. Her hair is dyed blonde and she has a serious look on her face.

Lisa Knapp and the LIVING soundtrack

An Abbots Bromley Horn Dancer clutches the antlers of an old reindeer skeleton. He is wearing his traditional dancing costume. The photo is by Henry Bourne and was taken in 2009.

Making Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain – an exhibition

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Exploring folk culture, folk music, folk arts, rituals and events, and how these living traditions continue today.

Artists and subjects written about regularly on Tradfolk

  • Martin Carthy

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