TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

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The trophies are now lined up and ready for presentation  [;-)

We are now looking for people to help with issuing the awards to our winners. As a reminder here is a list of the awards to be made and a note of where, when and by whom each award will be presented:

Award	Winner	Presented by	Where	When
---------------------------	-----------------------	-------------------	-----------------------	-----------------
Folk Singer of the Year	Chris Wood	Sir Martin	Cambridge Festival	August 1st
Best Group	Spiers & Boden	EllieW	Paradise Bar	September 16th
Best Album	The Imagined Village	AnnieD	Wychwood Festival	June 1st
Best Original Song	Benjamin Zephaniah	Ellie & Sir Martin	Cambridge Festival	August 2nd
Best Traditional Track	The Imagined Village	AnnieD	Wychwood Festival	June 1st
The Horizon Award	Tiny Tin Lady	NicO	Chester Telford's	September 22nd
Musician of the Year	Pete Zorn	Martin Driver	St Albans	April 14th 2009
Best Live Act	St Agnes Fountain	Delfini	Thoresby	Dec 19th-20th
All Round Good Egg Folkie	Simon Nicol	Skirky	Cropredy Festival Bar	August 8th
All Round Good Egg Folkie	Kath Hancock	Frogcrutches	Cropredy Festival Bar	August 9th
---------------------------	------------------------	-------------------	-----------------------	-----------------

 
Please post in this thread or send an IM to one of the moderators if you are able to help with the presentation of an award. Let us know who, when and where you can help out. This list will be filled in as presenters come forward.

We would like each award to be presented at a concert or public event where the winner is featured. Presenters should be be prepared for the following:

• You'll need tickets to the event - hey, we're not made of money!
• You should be with someone who can take photos to display on the board
• You should be able to make contact with the winner beforehand - leaping up on stage unnounced might not be a welcome move!
• You should be able to make contact with the venue and/or promoter - everyone concerned should be aware of what is going on and should give their consent
• You should give us sufficient notice so that the trophy can be arranged - June 1st is the earliest we can consider making an award

We know that some of the winners are members of the board. If any winners are reading this; first "congratulations!" Next, please send us an IM with ideas of where and/or how we might arrange the presentation.

Cheers!

...but first, we have a special announcement...

As you know, the Hancock trophies are very fine items, beautiful to see and to hold. Thay make the polls worth holding and worth winning. This quality comes at a price however and we have to think about how the costs can be met.

So, we are truly honoured that this year a very generous benefactor stepped forward and offered to help fund the trophies.

I know she is a quiet person and would not like to see a fuss made about things but we owe her great thanks for everything she has done for Talkawhile.

Please join me in saying thank you to Kath Hancock!

 :) Good on that girl  {:-) :-*

Thank you Kath - and thanks too, to Nick, Colin and everyone else associated with these fine awards.

Fantastic Kath, {:-) {:-) ;D ;D

Thank you and whoever hands out the awards enjoy your Robbie Williams moment!

To meet the costs, or at least an attempt to limit costs, perhaps the tankard could be passed round at Cropredy.

The donation could be the price of a drink for/to absent friends.

Thank you Kath.. just brilliant!

Many thanks Kath

         :-*

That is very kind

Thank you Kath, you're a star. {:-)

Good idea about the tankard being passed round at Cropredy WW. :D

What a wonderfully generous woman you are Kath.

I was wondering the other day how they are paid for, and whether we should have a donations page on here so we could contribute.

Wow Kath that's fantastic. Thanks.

Excellent, Kath. Spurred me on to volunteer to do a presentation, which I just have :)

Oooooh! Which one, Malcolm?  :D

TTL at Fareham :)

Oooh --can I nominate the Farnsfield Massive to present the Aggies with their  Hancock at Thoresby Hall this Xmas coming ? Namely  Amethyst ,Pugwash , Delfini and all the other TAW`s who frequent this rather wonderful venue ? I can take photos for you and I got tickets too . [;-)
 Just say yes Nick .

Yeah, say yes Nick :D

Wow Kath what a lovely lady you are! Thanks.

 :-*  {:-)


I was wondering like AnnieD how it was all paid for - I would definitely contribute if a donation page was started.

I think WW's suggestion of a whip round at the Cropredy bar sounds like a fine idea. ;D

The Hancock presentation season is now officially open. (We now have enough in stock for two years)

The first batch has been dispatched for presentation to The Imagined Village, this weekend.

Now we need some more volunteers, for the remaining presentations. Simon Nicol will most likely be at Cropredy and StAgnes has to wait.
With the others it's always best to present at small venue, as they tend to be more friendly and the audience more tolerant.

You don't need to have hundreds of posts here to 'qualify' to do a presentation. You just have to want to do it. We can normally find other members to provide moral support.

Is there a write up anywhere of the history of this award and what to say about it when doing a presentation? Can any past presenters please give me some help by IM? I am getting very scared.

Annie, there's no need to worry! Trust me! It'll be fab. 8) {:-)

I can let you have the write up that I did for the Cropredy programme last year, if that will help.

It gives a bit of information about TAW and how the awards came to be.

However, as Gower says don't worry, it will be fine.

We will be there right behind you cheering you on. ;D ;D ;D

Each presentation is slightly different so we've not really had a formal set of words for people to say. It varies according to who the winner is, who the presenter is and where the presentation is taking place.

Annie and I have IM'ed to get ready for the presentation this Sunday, though as she says, some words from previous presenters are helpful for those who are thinking of presenting or about to present.

I can say a few things about presentations in general though:

The things you should say are summed up in four words:

Talkawhile (who we are)
Carey (who he was, what he means to us and why we remember him)
The Vote (how we chose the candidates then voted)
The Winner!

What happens during the pesentation is:

1. You go onstage. Audience is quiet-ish
2. You mention Talkawhile. Audience cheers
3. You mention an Award and show the Trophy. Audience gets excited
4. You hand the trophy over. Audience goes mad
5. You steal a kiss/hug/manly handshake and leave the stage and you've been a star!

It is that simple because the audience like to see their band winning awards and the Hancock trophies are good enough to sell themselves.

Cheers

Nick

See, I'd volunteer to do one, but not having been here when Carey was (and not really knowing anything about him, I have to admit), I'm not sure what I'd say...

For those of you who were not around when the awards started, and who may not have had a Cropredy programme last year here is the piece that I wrote that appeared in the Cropredy programme last year.

Sadly I do not have the splendid photo of Gower presenting a Hancock to Fairport that accompanied it ;D ;D ;D


Like all good ideas the Hancock awards were born in a pub. But this was a virtual pub in cyberspace, called the Corporation Arms, the hangout of various members of an online discussion forum called Talkawhile.

Talkawhile was started 4 years ago by Colin Edwards, mainly to discuss all things Fairport and the Cropredy Festival. It has grown now to include all sorts of topics, but still keeps Fairport very much at the centre of things.

The Hancocks started off life as a discussion called the ‘Not the Radio2 Folk Awards’. However, when one of the founder and most popular board members, Carey ‘Ces’ Hancock died unexpectedly it was decided to rename these as the Hancocks to honour his memory,  and to have real awards made and presented to the winners.  So, in 2006, the first Hancocks were voted for and presented.

All of the awards are nominated and voted for by the board members. They reflect favourite musicians  and bands that the members feel have added  something to their musical lives during the previous year, and are a ‘thank you’ from them to people they have enjoyed or admired. Winners up to now have included Fairport Convention, Dave Swarbrick, Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings, Show of Hands, Chris While & Julie Matthews, Seth Lakeman, Eliza Carthy, Bellowhead and the Family Mahone.

So who was this Carey Hancock who inspired the awards?

He was a man of many parts.

A smallholder in Wales passionate about his animals, who claimed to have invented ready minted lamb when his sheep invaded and ate his herb garden.

A man with a huge sense of humour and wit who invented characters on Talkawhile such as ‘Aunty Ces’, an agony aunt whose advice consisted almost entirely of hurling abuse at anybody silly enough to ask a question and caused more agony through laughing than it ever cured..

A man with wide tastes and an encyclopedic knowledge of music. To him good music was music played with conviction and from the heart. He ‘persuaded’ many people to listen to things outside their comfort zone, and introduced many to new music they would never have otherwise listened to.

A huge fan of Dave Swarbrick, he even called his dog Swarb after him. One of Carey’s fondest memories of Cropredy was of once waking half of Field 2 by shouting ‘Swarb, will you stop p***ing up my leg’ at six in the morning.

A modest man, who liked to help others. Throughout Swarb’s illness he was unceasing in his efforts to keep his name in the limelight and raise funds to help him through that difficult time.  It is a measure of his respect for Carey that Swarb is the Patron of the Hancocks and puts his signature on them.

But most of all he was a friend to many who will at Cropredy this year. We ask you to join us in raising a toast to the Hancock.

GF presenting to Fairport in 2007

http://www.talkawhile.co.uk/yabbse/index.php?topic=20295.0

 ;D

As time goes on there will inevitably be more and more Talkawhilers who would not have known Ces.

This shouldn't be a problem or a restriction on whether you can present a Hancock. Everyone here should have the opportunity if they wish.

The main thing is, you understand the sense of loss we had, appreciate the sense of community we have now and play an active part in that community. I think when those things show they allow all Talkawhilers to play a part in the presentations and to honour Carey's memory.

Cheers

Nick

For those who may be at a bit of a loss as to who Carey was maybe this part of the board might help.

http://www.talkawhile.co.uk/yabbse/index.php?board=50.0

He helped to form this board and in its early days gave it its sense of fun and twisted direction ::)

As Nick says, please don't let the fact that you didn't know Ces stop you from offering to present an award. If you like the artist, if you can get to the gig, if you're daft enought to be on this board, then that should be qualification enough.  ;D [;-) {:-)


P.S. thanks Kath for the support it is seriously and generously appreciated

P.P.S St Agnes Fountain must get their award at Farnsfield cause Jenny proposed them and this year they finally, deservedly, fell over the finishing line.
But if you want a really deserving cause it has to be Oldham cause then Josh (11) and Beccy (9) could give them their Hancock in return for the posters and CDs SAF signed for them last year. Everyone say awww                                                     (maybe not then  ;))

Seriously folks it has to be Farnsfield

Well said, Mike. ;)

I'll offer to do Tiny Tin Lady at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod on 10 July?

Hi Nic,

I shall IM you...

We have just had confirmation that Chris Wood's presentation can go ahead at Cambridge Folk Festival!

This is a very prestigious opportunity and we owe a lot of thanks to Ceri at Alan Bearman Music for making it happen.

Delfini and Sir Martin are set to make the presentation. Excellent!

Cheers

Nick

If I am not busy with the youth at the Hub, I shall be taking photos and waltzing around in my usual manner.  Hooray I get to meet more TAWers!!!!

Will it be somewhere we can watch? I was going to suggest round the back by the duckpond - the BBC do interviews round there. Well done Delfini and Sir Martin, hope I can be there to support you.  

It'll be onstage. Sir Martin and Delfini will come on at the end of the interval before his set and introduce him with the presentation! [;-)  {:-)

Blimey!  On stage at Cambridge Music Festival!  What a coup.

Hats off to whoever organised it.

Photos, photos, we want photos!

Indeed. Well done! I shall look forward to it and try to be down the front to cheer. Main stage or R2 stage?

The presentation is set for Friday night on Stage 2.

The hard work was done by Ceri at Alan Bearman Music - tour management for Chris, IV, etc. She also helped with the Imagined Village presentation. Getting that presentation at Wychwood has helped show that the Hancocks are a serious proposition and there is a growing support for them

AnnieD, and anyone else who'll be there please have your cameras ready!

H*ll's teeth, what have I agreed to?? :-\

A public display of affection, Diane.

Enjoy!

It might be on TV - should I have said that?

It'll be great Diane. Enjoy it!  ;D {:-)

Some more roster updates:

Firstly, and a little sadly, for family reasons Delfini has had to pull out of the presentation to Chris Wood this weekend  :(

We hope to make up for this by offering her the chance to present to St Agnes Fountain in December.

At the moment Sir Martin is set to make Chris' presentation on his own, though David Stevenson may be able to help out.

Secondly, I heard from Simon Emmerson this afternoon that Benjamin Zephaniah will be joining Imagined Village onstage at Cambridge on Saturday. And Simon has offered to let Talkawhile present a Hancock to him during their set!

This is pretty much the only chance we'll get to present to BZ so we're grabbing it and running with it even though there's been little chance to organise. Sir Martin will be on hand again, with Ellie, to present this award.

Thirdly, we're trying to figure out what has been planned for presentation to Tiny Tin Lady. At the moment we've not got the right information to be clear what's going on. I'll update and confirm as soon as we're clear.

Cheers

Nick

It's a little late in the day to mention, but we've now had confirmation that EllieW can present the Best Band Hancock to Spiers and Boden in the Paradise Bar in London on September 16th (tomorrow!)

Thanks Ellie and good luck!

Cheers

Nick

Break a leg, Ellie!  ;D ::)

Hooray! It all went fine - photos to appear shortly when I've got a spare moment to deal with them, and collect the others ;D It was a great night, and many thanks to Jon, John and Mark (and Paradise) for allowing it all to go ahead :)

NicO will be presenting Tiny Tin Lady with their Hancock at Telford's in Chester on Monday 22nd September!

[;-)    {:-)  {:-)  {:-)  {:-)

Get along and cheer if you can. Good luck guys!

Cheers

Nick

The year is almost wrapped up but we still have two more presentations to go. The Aggies award is sorted out for December. However we still don't have a presentation lined up for Pete Zorn!

So. Any ideas? Anyone know if/when Pete might be playing anywhere? And who would like to make a presentation?

Cheers

Nick

I see that Barbara Dickson is touring the country (http://www.barbaradickson.net/concerts.html) in the new year.  Our Hancockian is  said to be a member of the Band  (http://www.barbaradickson.net/the_band.html)

Failing that, if anyone should happen to stumble across Aggies Chris WHILE and Julie MATTHEWS or Bad Shepherds, Troy DONOCKLEY and Maartin ALLCOCK (who played with Zorn is Waz) or Phil BEER - could they ask them PZ's whereabouts, please?  

I'd prefer not to involve my CIA chums at this stage.  It might frighten him.

Didn't Maart say Beth Neilsen Chapman was touring soon, and PZ was in the band last time.

BNC plays Belfast on Sunday, Birmingham Tuesday, Barnsley Wed, Buxton Thues and then a couple of dates in Scotland. See http://bethnielsenchapman.com/touring.php for all the dates.

I know Maart is playing Belfast. Dunno if the Bad Shepherds will take him away from the other gigs.

So, can anyone confirm; Is Pete Zorn playing for BNC? Or is he playing for Barbara Dickson?

And if so, who would like to have a go at arranging a presentation?

Cheers

Nick

There's a Pete Zorn Appreciation Society on Facebook - run by his son.

Or so I'm told.  I'm not on Facebook.

Perhaps the brave presenter might make enquiries there.  Young Zorn has posted his email address to the Group.  By all accounts he is his Dad's number one fan.  ;D

That's going to have to be at a Barbara Dickson gig then - I think that's all he's got coming up....

Don't all rush at once  ::)

If she went back to singing purely trad stuff I'd be fighting my way through the crowds for a ticket, throwing children and small animals out of my path.

Me too, and as her mum and my mum were at school together there's a wee personal link too.  But be warned - if you want to present an award at one of Barbara's gigs, we need to start a fund to buy the presenter a ticket.  She prices HIGH!

I'm sure she would welcome a presentation to Pete - they go back some way....

Barbara's most recent album is quite folky in places - check it out.

I love her voice, so warm and ... oh I don't know, Scottish! I could bear to listen to her singing for an evening.

Don't know who Pete Zorn is though  :-\ sorry folks!

i'll present the award to pete zorn, never heard of him though :P

Hello Groove, this may help you recognise him
Pete Zorn is a multi instrumentalist who has appeared many times at Cropredy with the Richard Thompson band and also with Chris While, Julie Matthews & Maart in Blue Tapestry. He also tours with Barbara Dickson and Troy Donockly.

 

[attachment deleted by admin]

Peete Zorn was also in WAZ! along with Maart and Dave Whetstone originally, hence the name of the band.

He's also played with Show of Hands, the Phil Beer Band and his elder brother Bill's band, The Arizona Smoke Revue.

I reckon if you put Pete Zorn and Maart in a room, there wouldn't be a musical instrument in the world they couldn't play  ;D

Paul

aha, thanks guys xx

You are so right there Paul!!

saw them, got the album  ;D

They were great, and even better when Steve Tilston joined them.

I had a phone call from Pete Zorn yesterday evening..!

He is thrilled with the news of his award and says to say thank you to everone here who thought of him and voted for him.

We're trying to pick a suitable place and time to present his award. The main thing he has coming up is a tour with Barbara Dickson from the end of Jan to the middle of March. After that there are irons in the fire with Richard Thompson among others.

So, would anyone like to step forward and help make this presentation? Please post here or send me an IM.

Cheers

Nick

Well, it's finally come together.

Martin Driver will be presenting Pete Zorn with his Hancock Award at the Steeleye Span concert in St Albans on April 14th.

Pete is, as I mentioned, delighted and very flattered to have been chosen for this award. Steeleye Span too have been more than happy to help host his presentation - Pete has been a great help to Steeleye for stepping in to fill Rick Kemp's shoes for this tour and the band want to say thank you to Pete as much as Talkawhile do.

If you're going along, please give them all a cheer!

Cheers

Nick