The society is made up of members from nearby villages in Wharfdale, from farming folk to solicitors, youngsters to octogenarians. The group was created in 1923 when William Walker held the first meeting and has entertained audiences in the Yorkshire Dales, usually in the main hall or the Octagon of the Devonshire Institute (Town hall) in Grassington. The wide variety of around 200 performances have more recently included: Waiting for Godot, The Cracked Pot, Slim Chance, Lord Arthur Savilles Crime and the ‘world premiere’, amateur performance of the Calendar Girls, to name just a few. The Calendar Girls was difficult for the cast as many knew the real characters giving the play much greater significance to them.

There is also a proud record of success in competition, with outright wins in both local and Welsh Drama Festivals. In recent years, the Grassington Players have gained immense popular appeal nationally with their pre-Christmas Dickensian productions coinciding with the festivities in the village on December Saturdays.

Grassington Players have donated several thousands of pounds to worthy charities over the years. In 1942, £700 had been given to various charities by the Players. By 1947 that had risen to over £1000 and by 2006 at least £30,000, with the Players consistently raising in excess of £1000 per annum; no mean feat for an amateur theatre group in a rural location.

By Cathy Parry

Cathy Parry is the owner of two holiday cottages set alongside the picturesque River Wharfe. You can view them on her website www.riversidegrassington.co.uk and connect via Facebook www.facebook.com/RiversideGrassington.

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September 2013

Have a short break at Riverside or River View and enjoy a weekend to remember in Grassington, as well as a time to rekindle treasured memories.

The weekend starts on Friday evening in the Town Hall with an evening of entertainment provided by Burnsall Empire Players followed by a Lindy Hop with Shack Shakin’ Jack.

On Saturday and Sunday take a stroll around the village and cobbled streets while listening to the sounds of Paul Harper, Jane Francis, Mickey Ramsbottom and the Alka Seltzer Sisters and others.

Sit inside the cockpit of a full size replica MK1 Spitfire, sponsored by Cottages4you. Wander down to the Vintage Market , inspect the Military Displays and Re-enactor Camps.

Look out for the BBMF flypast featuring a Hurricane and a Spitfire.

There is a Tea Dance in the Town Hall on Saturday and Sunday from 2.00 – 4.00pm.

Saturday evening features Echo 42 Big Band, (by popular demand) with supper included.
(Tickets are required for all dance events, book early to avoid disappointment)

This year’s 1940′s weekend is to include:
Royal British Legion Skipton Band
A full size replica Spitfire Mk1 in Grassington Square
West Yorkshire Austin / Classic Car Club parked around the village

Re-enactor camps and displays in YDNP Car Park to include:
A large selection of Vintage Military Vehicles
Fox Commando Royal Navy and Combined Operations Unit
American encampment
German 21st Panzer Div LHG
German 1st Kompanie GD
Russian 13th Guards ‘Poltavaskaya’ Rifle Division
West Riding 28th Battalion Home Guard – ‘C’ Company
Some displays will include pyrotechnics.

Vintage Market Stalls
Paintball and Rifle Ranges

What’s the cost to the public for all this entertainment (excluding the dances & cockpit visit)?
£6 per car for the park & ride in a 1940′s Vintage Bus from Threshfield Quarry
Parking in the Hebden Road YDNP car park is for disabled only.

Contact info@grassington1940sweekend.co.uk for more information.

By Cathy Parry

Cathy Parry is the owner of two holiday cottages set alongside the picturesque River Wharfe. You can view them on her website www.riversidegrassington.co.uk and connect via Facebook www.facebook.com/RiversideGrassington.

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The Grassington Festival Team are delighted to announce that local brewers, Richard and Carole Eyton-Jones of the Dark Horse Brewery in Wharfedale, have produced a fabulous creamy Yorkshire Ale, especially for Grassington Festival.  FestivAle is 4% ABV.

Housed in an old laithe, Dark Horse Brewery can produce up to 12,000 pints a week.  Distribution of their flagship beer, Hetton Pale Ale, which won the coveted title of Yorkshire’s Perfect Pint in the TV series of the same name, is mainly found within a 20 mile radius of the brewery.

Richard says, “the pure Yorkshire water is drawn from the brewery’s own bore hole and even the waste that’s produced is used in a sustainable way to feed a reed bed system, which in turn is home to a rich variety of plants and animals.”  Only top quality English malts and the finest hops are used to produce their distinctive and popular beers.

FestivAle will go on sale on Saturday 1st June, 2013 and will be available to try in pubs up and down the Dale, including those in Grassington, The Angel at Hetton, The Clarendon at Hebden and The Fountaine at Linton.

So why not sit back and enjoy a well-earned pint after one of our Festival walks?  Or after our Wild Food Foraging Masterclass with celebrity forager Chris Bax, from BBC Countryfile, at Grassington House Hotel? For more information or to book tickets to this fabulous event, click on http://www.grassington-festival.org.uk/events/masterclass-wild-food-foraging-with-chris-bax/

Participating pubs are generously donating proceeds to the Festival.  So you can enjoy a fabulous Yorkshire pint whilst supporting your favourite Yorkshire festival!  If you are one of the many that will experience this new delightful beer, then we’d love to hear your comments.

By Cathy Parry

Cathy Parry is the owner of two holiday cottages set alongside the picturesque River Wharfe.  You can view them on her website www.riversidegrassington.co.uk and connect via Facebook www.facebook.com/RiversideGrassington.

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Grassington Festival is a fortnight of exciting events for all the family. It has now been running for 33 years and in that time has provided some outstanding entertainment from high class artists.

Previous artist have included Billy Ocean and Alan Davis. This year they include Jules Holland and Jack Dee. But this isn’t just about bringing performers to Grassington but also about showcasing some of the exceptional local talent, for instance last year Skipton Girls’ High School Chamber Choir and Bradford Grammar School Concert Band entertained crowds. The unique combination of performances, live music and visual arts means no one will leave our beautiful village disappointed.

Every year during the last two weeks of June, Grassington is a cultural haven, which not only provides concerts and a range of performances including, dance, music, street theater and workshops but also walks, talks and creative challenges. Events take place in the large marquee, town hall, local pubs, churches and streets.  This year (2013) the two weeks are themed around the weather with an opening parade of umbrellas and the town hall transformed into a feast of weather. The festival team listen to audiences and in response this year are providing a classical tour with a rich and varied program of classical music as well as the wonderful Black Dyke Brass Band. The local community takes great pride in being involved and endeavors to give everyone a chance to learn something new, enjoy something familiar and be actively involved in a fantastic fortnight. There is something for everyone and to suit every pocket. Don’t miss out on a sensational two weeks of entertainment in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

By Cathy Parry

Cathy Parry is the owner of two holiday cottages set alongside the picturesque River Wharfe. You can view them on her website www.riversidegrassington.co.uk and connect via Facebook www.facebook.com/RiversideGrassington.

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