Blog

Memory Monday

Monday 27th October 2025

 Memory Monday!  Here's the wonderful poster that gave us some of the inspiration for our 50th logo. Who designed it? Were you at the 86/87 festival? Do you remember the guests? How was the weather? Send us your memories, anecdotes, stories, photographs!

Here's Mike Moroney's review in The Clarion after the festival.

The idea of the 1986/87 Whare Flat “No Frills, No Thrills, Back to the Music” Folk Festival was to cut down on the funfair/carnival punters and put more energy into the folk art stuff (like the good ol’ days, did someone say?) However from where I was standing nobody seemed to notice that there was no hangi, battle, arts and crafts fayre, pig roast, barbecue, fireworks display etc. Attendance was as high as ever and no matter what we did people still insisterd on having a good time! We managed to break a few kids’ arms but this did little to dampen the overall enthusiasm so as a last resort we shaved off our beards to frighten people. I frightened myself, because I cut my face to shreds and thought I was bleeding to death (12 years is a long time between shaves!) Mind you, when the bleeding stopped  I thought I was dead, or whoever that pasty-faced pillock was in the mirror. Time to reveal myself to my wife and my daughter. Daughter, completely freaked out, now believes she has two fathers. Wife, completely revolted, now claims she has no husband and is suing for divorce on the grounds of deceptive packaging. 

Still, I had a great time playing with my chin and leering at people who didn’t want to know me any more; after all, I don’t have to look at it so it’s not my problem. I for one will be very surprised if anyone turns up for next years festival - great stuff this folk music. 

 Celebrating 50 years of bringing together voices, stories and generations at Whare Flat Folk Festival 

« Back to articles