



It’s always good to have a bit of high energy on Festival day, and Revisit are guaranteed to get you in the mood to move.
REVISIT are a 4 piece band playing high energy Punk/NewWave style tracks of own composition and covers. Our own songs tackle politics and society just as good old punk did, but with a bright new sound we call “Bright Brit Punk” . Teamed with stagemanship, presence and attitude give a good visual show as well as solid melodies guaranteed to get your feet tapping.
Farrago is an exciting acoustic collaboration between two experienced musicians, Andy McDermott and Gayna Grimshaw.
Although described as English/Americana folk, they prefer not to pigeonhole it. Whether it’s a folk standard, a foot-tapping Celtic jig or self-penned, it’s all performed ‘Farrago-style’ that means music with a personality.
Andy & Gayna have a wealth of musical experience between them and have both been solo singers and performers in their own right, but when their voices come together, the harmonies are the highlight.
Andy plays guitar, mandolin and banjo whilst Gayna plays accordion and guitar.
Individually, they have worked ‘live’ and in studios for too many years to admit!
We believe everyone can sing, we are a non-audition community choir who come together once a week on Monday evening in the upstairs room at Central Methodists in Todmorden – and we aim to be a blessing to our community by singing uplifting songs including gospel, spirituals, world music, soul and sometimes pop. Ailsa Nicholson, our musical director, specialises in vocal technique and so everyone from a complete beginner to people who have sing for 20 years will get something out of this choir. Come along and enjoy our performance at 1pm on the Weavers Square stage, and if you like what you see and hear, we’d love to have you join us.
Find out more here.
We love this band, and after knocking us all out last year, they’ve agreed to come back to “the back of the slippy church” to do it all again. If you did’t catch their headline set last year, you really must make it to the Ruin Stage at 8pm..
The indie- pop quartet blend momentous melodies with wistful and insightful lyrics,“The songs are the most important thing in the world to me,” remarks Thomas Rylance, frontman and songwriting force of the band, “if they’re ever even a tiny fraction as important to other people, I’ll die a very happy man.”
The bands first single ‘Elizabeth’, an ode to misappropriated love with a nod to Her Majesty the Queen, was released to coincide with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Described by Lauren Laverne as “Adorable”, Hooting and Howling magazine remarked “It’s the sound of Morrissey taking some happy pills and prancing stark naked through a hilly glade, singing of romance”.
Have a listen:
Make sure your children are in Weaver’s Square in time for what promises to be the best entertainment at the festival this year.
Frolicked is an outdoor puppet theatre company. They create intimate and magical experiences for all kinds of unusual spaces and places. Their engaging, interactive performances include a host of memorable and beautifully designed puppet characters.
Don’t miss it!

Ben is a solo acoustic slide guitar player and singer, performing blues songs from the 1920’s onwards.
He’s been playing music and gigging since the 70’s, sometimes in bands, sometimes solo, and various genres from R&B to punk to avant-garde, but he’s always maintained a deep love of the simple country blues of artists like Son House and Robert Johnson, and the urban blues of Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.
His first official show as a solo blues artist was in 2010 at Weymouth’s annual Lupus Festival. Since then he’s been gigging regularly in Yorkshire and beyond.
Ben appears on the Weaver Stage at 2pm.
We can’t wait!
Formed in 2014 Liverpool’s Takotsubo Men’s 7” single is just what we need as we get ready for five more years of Tory rule.
Their dizzying, frantic and raw post punk debut sees them become a modern-day Minutemen, tearing through three tracks in barely six minutes. Breathless, giddy and sweat-palm thrilling. No welcome outstayed. No B-side invited. Say it and f***k off!
Led by former Cecil frontman Ste Williams, the band also features Stuart Carswell’s pounding drums and Paddy ‘Clawhand’ Harrison on his unconventionally tuned guitars.
Takotsubo Men will be on the Ruin Stage at Heptonstall Festival and are currently working on more tunes scheduled for release before the end of the year. Expect a perfect eruption of distortion, bite and thrill. See you there!
Takotsubo Men appear on the Ruin Stage at 7.20pm.
Roald Dahl themed costume making workshops are being held in the Bowling Club on 11th, 12th, 25th and 26th June 4-6pm to make costumes and props in preparation for the Children’s parade.
The workshops are being led by Beth Hardman. It’s a great way to meet mums and children from Heptonstall village, Colden and Heptonstall schools. A light tea will be provided. Come along and join in the fun!
This year the festival theme is “the stories of Roald Dahl” and we are inviting you to create your very own drawing, poem or short story inspired by Roald Dahl.
Selected writers will have their work displayed on the day and also be in with a chance of winning £15, £10 or £5 book vouchers if they are placed in any of the categories. An overall winner will receive the fabulous Roald Dahl Treasury – An illustrated compendium of excerpts from all of his books and full reprints of 6 stories including Esio Trot and The Enormous Crocodile.
Local Children’s author Liz Flannagan has agreed to judge the competition and all prizes generously donated by The Book Case in Hebden Bridge.
There are two competitions to enter:
Drawing competition: (Year 2 and below): Draw your character (either an actual character created by Roald Dahl or your creation) on a sheet of A4 paper and send to the address below. Parents can help with some written character details if you wish.
Poetry and Writing Competitions (Year 3, 4 & 5 and 6, 7 & 8): Write or type your entry on sheets of A4 Lined or Plain paper (or use Microsoft Word for email entries). You can use Roald Dahl’s characters or your own imagined ones and can add a cover sheet and pictures if you wish – in fact we encourage it!
Meet the Judge

Liz Flanagan is a local author and has written a number of children’s books. Liz has very kindly agreed to judge the children’s writing and drawing competition. Until recently Liz worked at the Ted Hughes Arvon Centre at Lumb Bank. She is currently studying for a PhD in Creative Writing. Liz Flanagan is the author of Cara and the Wizard, Starlight Grey, and Dara’s Clever Trap, see lizflanagan.co.uk for more information.
Closing date is 21st June 2015
Prizes will be awarded on festival day!
Download the Competition Entry Form and Roald Dahl Writing Guide to get started.
Follow these links to see the agendas for the 2015 Annual Parish Council Meeting and the May Parish Council Meeting.
Both will be held at the The School Hall, Heptonstall J I & N School, on Monday 18 May 2015 commencing at 7.00 pm and 7.30pm respectively.
Ruin Stage |
|
| Artist | Start Time |
| The Lottery Winners | 8.20pm |
| Takotsubo Men | 7.20pm |
| Revisit | 6.20pm |
| Owter Zeds | 5.20pm |
| Brunelle | 4.20pm |
| The Tiny Minds | 3.20pm |
| Tim O’Connor | 2.20pm |
| Alex Roberts | 1.30pm |
| Sleepers | 12.40pm |
Weaver Stage |
|
| Catfish Skillet | 6.00pm |
| Zoe Stirling | 5.00pm |
| Pocket Hercules | 4.00pm |
| Farrago | 3.00pm |
| Ben Blue Waters | 2.00pm |
| Rayen | 1.30pm |
| Three Valleys Gospel Choir | 1.00pm |
The South Pennines are a combination of unique landscape and outstanding industrial heritage. The area has long been a favoured resort for walkers and historians.
To share this special area with even more people, Pennine Horizons has teamed up with a whole host of local volunteers, community groups and organisations to create 12 interesting and inspiring walks and trails. Pennine Horizons Trails provide you with an opportunity to explore the area on foot with the bonus of having information about the landscape, ecology or history at your finger tips.
More details at www.pennineheritage.org.uk/Trails.
Information on events taking place on 25 and 26 April 2015.
The e-trail Apps (with map, walk directions, audio commentaries and historical photographs) can be downloaded to a phone or tablet and include interesting stories of local events and people of note as well as information about the awe-inspiring ecology and outstanding industrial heritage of the area. The trails are:
Frank Woolrych, Chair of the Pennine Horizons project said: “The stunning landscapes and striking remains of its industrial heritage have drawn walkers and historians to the Calder and its valleys for many years. To share this with more people, we have teamed up with a whole host of local volunteers, community groups and organisations to create 12 interesting and inspiring walks and trails.”
More details at www.pennineheritage.org.uk/Trails.
Information on events taking place on 25 and 26 April 2015.
On Festival Day we are planning to create a Treasure Trail that will take the children through the village, finding clues along the way. If you live in Heptonstall we would like you to help us create this Trail by volunteering to create a clue and place it in your window or in your garden.
These clues could take on any forms as long as they relate to Roald Dahl. It could be something as simple as a passage taken from a book to a masterpiece creation made from sticky back plastic and fairy liquid bottles – Blue Peter eat your heart out!
We cannot create the Trail until we know how many volunteers we have, so if you would be kind enough to register your interest at the Post Office as soon as possible. We will close the list on 15h May, this will give us good time to be able to liaise with everyone and create the Trail ready for July 4th.
Don’t worry if you miss this date, we still would like as many people as possible to decorate their gardens / houses just for the fun of it.
So get your thinking caps on and let’s get Creative!
If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely……..Roald Dahl
This year the Heptonstall Festival will be held on Saturday 4 July, in conjunction with the Heptonstall Festival Fell Race.
The festival is a family event held across the whole village of Heptonstall with activities happening throughout the day.
Highlights will include:
Information about artists, activities and the low-down on all the fun will be posted here in the weeks ahead.
The theme for the event is “all things Roald Dahl” so get thinking about your costume!
The monthly meeting of the Parish Council will be held at The School Hall, Heptonstall J I & N School on Monday 13 April 2015 commencing at 7.30 p.m.
The Agenda for the meeting can be seen here.
Stephen Grimley, Fell Race Organiser, writes….
“Many thanks for the generous support given to the annual Heptonstall Fell Races each March and July.
2015 year will see the races take place for their 5th running, during which time we will have all worked together to raise around £10,000 for local causes (St Thomas’s Church, Calder Valley Search and Rescue, local Scouts, Heptonstall Festival)
Each race has been a tremendous success as runners from all over the UK have flocked to the village to enjoy a day out on the local hills combined with the hospitality of the village. The races have become known for their community spirit, and the unique atmosphere and spectacle created by the village.
SUNDAY MARCH 22nd 2015 – CAN YOU HELP?
The race can only take place with the enthusiastic involvement of our neighbours, friends, and family. This generous support is much appreciated and has proven to be a key factor in runners returning to the event year after year.
The 2015 race will take place on SUNDAY MARCH 22nd 2015 – we would be extremely grateful if you could spare a few hours of your time to help us marshal the event
WHAT IS INVOLVED?
No experience is required. A marshal is simply there to keep an eye on the race at a given point, advising runners of any hazards, and reporting back to the race organiser to confirm all is going well. Marshals additionally make sure runners don’t head off in the wrong direction, or alerting runners to approach road crossings safely. Your position can be organised to suit your preference and available time, either in the village and surrounding fields, or for the more adventurous, somewhere on the hills around Hardcastle Craggs.
We usually team you up with a friend or neighbour, providing you with instructions, timings, viz bib, and contact numbers. No experience is required but we will explain everything you will need know for your position. The runners will be pleased to see you and will be thanking you as they run by – hopefully you can cheer them on. It’s a great excuse for an early Spring day out followed up with a beer and food in the pub afterwards.
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP….”
Anyone who is interested in helping out with marshaling duties is asked to contact Stephen Grimley on 07710015560 or by email.
The monthly meeting of the Parish Council will be held at The School Hall, Heptonstall J I & N School on Monday 2 February 2015 commencing at 7.30 p.m.
The Agenda for the meeting can be seen here.
Pennine Spring Music returns to Heptonstall 25-30 May, with a varied programme of classical music for everyone.
We endeavour each year to encourage young musicians from music schools and colleges to join us on a bursary scheme.
Could anyone willing to accommodate (B&B) one of these young people please contact Jean Leach on 01422 843995 or by email.
Many thanks.
Christmas Lunch at the Social & Bowling Club: Thursday 18 December 2014
Thank you! Thanks to all for the generous support for our second Christmas Lunch! We had 65 guests, served by Village Team elves, and we sent over 15 meals to local houses.
The meal was cooked for us at no charge by Rik Jones, Head Chef at Devonshire Hall, University of Leeds, assisted by his partner Sarah Wilmot. The food was kindly supplied by Hebden and Poole veg suppliers and Sykes House Farm butchers, both based in Wetherby.
The wonderful Heptonstall School Choir entertained the guests with beautifully sung Christmas carols as well as more up to date songs.
The Village Team is planning to have up to six trips this year. We’ve been lucky enough to secure a large luxury coach which “kneels” to the kerb for easy access.
Our Spring Coach Trip is on Tuesday 14 April 2015 to Stephen H Smith’s Garden Centre at Otley, leaving Heptonstall at 11.30 am.
£10.00
The garden centre has a 300 seat restaurant, indoor and outdoor plant sales area, and an Edinburgh Wool Shop.
It’s all on one level, so fully accessible.
We can also loan out wheelchairs if booked with Jane in advance.
To book, ring Jane Hartmann 01422 846675.
Other dates for your diary:
19th May Harewood House
8th July Oswaldtwistle Mills
18th September Harrogate Flower Show
This will be the first of a series of family/ dance/ fun events to be held at the Social and Bowling Club.
The aim is to provide some high class, low cost occasions for ALL people of ALL ages,, with or without children, from Heptonstall and beyond.
A simple supper will be available to buy for £2.50 at each of the events. We’ll be starting with home-made potato and meat pie, or potato, cheese and onion pie, with either baked beans or peas.
After 9pm, we’ll turn the music up and the lights down so we can all dance and boogie the night away.
This time the band will be three local lads, Three Men and a Box – you may remember them from last year’s Heptonstall Festival.
£5 (children free)
Next time it will be DJ Dapper Dan and his 30’s, 40’s and 50’s Tea Dance style music.
If you are aware of any music or bands you think will go down well, please contact Gail King on 07826 525366.
Open Mic Night at The White Lion.
Friday 30 January, 9:00pm till late.
All Welcome, Be Entertained Or Come And Give It A Go!
We have 39 people already booked for this year’s community event, which will take place at The Social and Bowling Club on 18 December.
This is intended as a warm and welcoming Christmas event for anyone, and we will not discriminate against those who consider themselves too young to come along and join in!!
The big goal this year is to raise as much funding as we can to cover the cost of the day, and buy a really nice gift for all our guests.
Last year we sent home around 15 lunches for those who could not attend, and we know they were very much appreciated. This year we would like to do the same.
Our guests tell us, that they wish to get to know more of the newer inhabitants of Heptonstall and therefore they warmly invite you to join in, and come and have a Christmas lunch with us.
If you cannot attend, but would like to help us, we would be very grateful for your support, which could include…..
Making a donation:
Providing ingredients:
Helping with entertainment:
Volunteering in other ways: