Sunny start to Towersey Festival’s Thame debut

BLUE skies and a sunny Thame welcome greeted campers and visitors this morning to the first Towersey Festival to be held on the Thame showground, since its move from its original home in Towersey itself.

The red Routemaster bus was busy transporting festival goers to and from the town centre, where the food shops particularly were doing brisk business supplying them with food and other necessities for a weekend of musical treats.

Families and visitors are able to enjoy a great day out this August Bank Holiday with a Towersey Festival Taster Experience ticket. The ticket grants a day’s entry to the famed Oxfordshire festival, which takes place from today, Friday 28, to Monday, August 31, 2015 at Thame Showground.

An annual highlight of the UK’s cultural calendar since 1965, the Visit Britain: Best of British Festival is headlined by legendary songwriter Joan Armatrading, multi-award-winning folk big band Bellowhead and Oxford’s much lauded Stornoway, plus Show Of Hands and Sally Barker.

Clear skies at dusk last night bode well for today’s start to Towersey Festival 2015

A Towersey Festival Taster Experience ticket allows visitors to immerse themselves in a day’s worth of great music, inspiring workshops and demonstrations, entertaining performances, and good food and drink – all for just £8/£9 (adult) and £4 (child). They are available in advance from Thame Town Hall, High Street, Thame, or at the festival’s Box Office, on the day (from 10am-6pm).

Over 60 stalls offer gifts and goodies, from handmade soaps, unique jewellery and clothing, to garden herbs, while Towersey Real Ale and Cider Festival, well stocked with acclaimed and award-winning beverages from leading local independent brewers, presents the perfect accompaniment to the array of delicious street foods, courtesy of local artisan producers.

As always, there’s also a range of free performances and activities aimed squarely at families, with art, craft, science and circus workshops, face painting, games, singing, dancing, storytelling and more.

Among the free performances are Reckless Invention’s Comedy Waiters, Bite-Sized Circus’ Lukey Luck and Evie Mischievey, the unhinged Sid Bowfin, and ground-breaking dance company Folk Dance Remixed, whose performances fuse traditional folk dance with hip hop styles and live music.

The Showground Bar Stage also returns, with Thame’s First Thursday Music Club hosting a variety of invited guests, including The August List, Papa Truck and 2am Blue.

Towersey regulars will also see a number of changes to the new site, including a new Creative Quarter, improved site lay out and improved site access.

Car parking is free, while there’s also a red London Routemaster bus shuttle running regularly between Thame and Towersey throughout the festival.

If you are attending, why not also check out the festival’s big main stages with tickets from £30/£14 per day, or upgrade to a full festival ticket (£55-£135 with major discounts for Thame and Towersey residents) and enjoy such acclaimed acts as Joan Armatrading and Bellowhead, plus some great films, spoken word activities, and dancing. Under 5s are free.

Towersey Festival, Friday 28 to Monday 31 August 2015, Thame Showground, Kingsey Rd, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3JL. For further information, call 01629 827016 or see: www.towerseyfestival.com SEE WHAT’S ON – day by day, hour by hours: LINK HERE

Tickets:

Weekend Adult £135; Conc £110; Youth £95; Child £55; U5 free.
Day Tickets from £30 (Adult); £21 (Youth); £14 (Child); U5 free.
No booking fees. Discounts for Thame and Towersey residents – call for details.
Festival Taster Experience Tickets (showground only) £9 (on the gate) or £8 (advance from Thame Town Hall) & £4 (Conc, Child, Students) per day.
Car Parking: Free.
Bookings: 01629 827016.
Web: http://www.towerseyfestival.com