Down and out out in Upton..... on Severn
May 2025

In 2023 the renowned Upton Folk Festival, which is held in Upton On Severn in Worcestershire on the first Bank Holiday in May every year, invited The Raven Folk Club to be one of the guest folk clubs at their event. Accordingly, we put together a contingent of fifteen regular Raven Folk Club performers and supporters and had a great weekend.They clearly liked what we did as they’ve asked us back each year since!

On Friday 2nd May this year our third expedition to Upton FF set out. The party consisted of twelve Raven FC ‘regulars’ including Chris & Debbie Lee, Jamie Matthews, Helen Delemos, Ian Jones, Helen Armstrong, John ‘Jock’ Watson, Will Riding, Emma Riding, Katrina Turner, Martin Turner and Nick Mitchell. We had another brilliant weekend at this very friendly and excellent-quality festival in the lovely Malverns. We ran our club night on Saturday in the legendary Star Inn & Hotel and it was a very enjoyable and successful event with a dazzling array of fine floor-singers.

Meanwhile, back in Chester on the Sunday our good friend Captain Andy took the helm of the good ship Raven, thus establishing a first….two Raven Folk Clubs in one weekend! Our thanks to Upton Festival for inviting us and to Andy (aided and abetted by Fluff) for running the club in our absence. There are some pictures here of some of our adventures.