Festival to float boat for folk music fans

A FESTIVAL that was nearly sunk through cutbacks is expecting to attract thousands of visitors today.

Hull Folk and Maritime Festival will offer an eclectic mix of folk and world music, as well as sea shanties, with the line-up including folk icons Ralph McTell and Michael Chapman, who are appearing at Holy Trinity Church tonight.

Boat owners arriving at Hull Marina had been told that the city council would not permit members of the public to board historic vessels, such as the 1914 Amy Howson or the 1949 Beverley barge Syntan, because of “health and safety.”

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But yesterday afternoon, at the 11th hour, the council had a change of heart.

Derek Chafer, from the Humber Keel and Sloop Preservation Society, had already told a dozen volunteers who had been lined up to man the Amy Howson that they weren’t needed. He said: “We were a little bit dampened by the fact that we couldn’t have anyone on the ships.

“Every other year people have been allowed to come on and this year for some reason they said “no”.

“I’m glad they have had a rethink – after all we are just one small part of what should be a fun and exciting event.”

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From 11am today music will be played on several outdoor stages, as well as inside the Minerva Hotel and Ruscadors.

There will also be traditional dancing, choirs, street performers and steel bands.

Other attractions include Roman Navy enactments, children’s workshops, and a real ale and cider festival.

Hull Council insisted that it had in fact asked boat owners in previous years not to have members of the public on board for health and safety reasons.

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Yesterday afternoon, however, a spokeswoman said: “We have up till now said ‘no’, but because people are saying they are unhappy, if they want to do it they can, but they will have to take responsibility once they have left the quayside.”