The Presentations Roster

[Anne Dunn]

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.

[gower flower (Shirl)]

Annie, there's no need to worry! Trust me! It'll be fab.

[Sandra]

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.

[Nick]

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

[MikeB (Mike)]

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...

[Sandra]

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


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.

[jude]

GF presenting to Fairport in 2007

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

 

[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...

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

[mikec]

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.  


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

[frogcrutches]

Well said, Mike.

[Nic O]

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

[Nick]

Hi Nic,

I shall IM you...

[Nick]

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

[Ellie]

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

This is a very prestigeous 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!!!!

[Anne Dunn]

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

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.  

[Nick]

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!  

[Sir Robert Peel]

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

Hats off to whoever organised it.

[Andy]

Photos, photos, we want photos!

[Anne Dunn]

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

Hats off to whoever organised it.

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

[Nick]

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!