The 2008 Maverick Country Music Festival at Easton Farm Park, Suffolk

th 13 no 08

1946 For the first time a natural cloud was seeded with 3lbs of dry ice to promote precipitation

As we very much hoped Paul Spencer is planning another Maverick Festival for Easton next year. Can't wait!

su 31 au 08

1888 The first victim of Jack The Ripper, Polly Nichols, was found dead

Judging by all the people who wanted to be photographed with Devon Sproule after her set she was undoubtedly the hit of Maverick. Built in the same slight manner as Miss Olga she has a rewardingly mobile face and everything is just so straight forward, loved it. Concerns some of Easton may have had about the festival surely have been proved unfounded, the only disorder we saw were little boys kidnapping empty plastic glasses to get the deposit back! The festival HAS to happen again next year. More pics here.

sa 30 au 08

1900 Bubonic plague broke out in Glasgow

This afternoon we saw Ed Sheeran in the audience for BJ Cole's steel guitar workshop, as we expected the Redlands Palomino Co. impressed, more cowboy hats, more steel guitars and now beards ... but what were Ocean West doing hidden away on the back of an old army truck? All the band can sing but Sarah Lucy Dole has a voice right on the money. It's going to be crowded (and hot) in the shed tonight for the top acts.

Cowboy hats and steel guitars last night at the Maverick Festival and Devon Sproule tonight... can't wait!

fr 29 au 08

1949 Russia detonated its first atomic device

Looking strangely familiar the main stage is up at Easton Farm Park for this weekend's nearly sold out Maverick Festival. Showtime starts at seven this evening and ends with a mid-morning Gospel brunch on the Sunday. Stephen Foster will be broadcasting live from the Fest on Radio Suffolk tomorrow morning, Radio Cambridge is expected as is the Serbian correspondent of the World Service (alt country is v big in Serbia apparently) and BJ Cole will be giving a pedal steel guitar workshop. It's just gotta be a good 'un!

tu 29 jl 08

1948 Two years of bread rationing ended in the UK

You can schlep to Halesworth to see Geno Washington and the Maverick Festival is back on at Easton Farm Park but slimmed down to a thousand alt country enthusiasts.

we 16 jl 08

1927 The world's smallest public railway the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch opened

August's planned Maverick Festival has been refused a license at Easton Farm Park by Suffolk Coastal District Council.

fr 30 my 08

1988 6,500 people played musical chairs on the beach at Weymouth, Dorset

If like us you're a little uncertain about this Alt Country/Americana being served at the Maverick Festival in Easton then try Radio Scotland's Brand New Country as they have great dollops of it ... Did I shave my legs for this?

th 17 ap 08

1969 At 21 Bernadette Devlin became Britain's youngest ever woman MP

Apparently Paul Spencer the promoter of the Maverick Festival at Easton Farm Park is talking about an audience of 5,000 for the three days.

sa 8 mr 08

1910 Baroness de Laroche became the first woman to receive a pilot's licence

We've found a provisional bill for August's altcountry-americana-newtradition festival at Easton Farm Park. Three stages, topping Sam Baker doing his only UK date, Special Ed & The Shortbus seem to be a bluegrass cross between Madness and Orkestra del Sol, and there's a good

sprinkling of pedal steel guitars including the Redlands Palomino Company who despite coming from a large town near Chelmsford sound like the real thing.

we 27 fe 08

1939 Borley Rectory, reputedly the most haunted house in England, burned down

Strong rumours about a bluegrass festival to be held on Easton Farm Park at the end of August, the weekend after the bank holiday ... and that's Alison Krauss not because she's on the bill but because we like her ... but then who knows?

Easton ~ Easton in 2007 ~ Teddy Jump ~ Kettleburgh ~ Framlingham

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