Hootenanny a huge hit in village

MORE than 200 people attended the Ewelme Hootenanny held at Cow Common on Saturday night.

Villager Geoff Watts organised the event — a hootenanny is traditionally an informal gathering with folk music — to take advantage of the marquee which was set up in the common ahead of Monday’s horticultural show, and to help raise money for the event, which runs at a loss every year.

Entry to the common was free, however tables could be purchased in advance for £10.

Beverages, including beer from Amwell Brew Co. in Cholsey and Loddon Brewery in Dunsden, homemade chocolate brownies were available to be purchased.

The event raised about £1,000 to be donated to the Ewelme Horticultural Society, which was set up to run the annual show.

Most attendees packed picnics which they enjoyed on the common as live music was provided in the marquee by the local band, Tragik.

The band’s name is an acronym for “Trey, Rob and Geoff including Keir”, and featured Mr Watts on the guitar, along with his son, Trey, singing lead vocals and playing the ukelele. They performed covers including Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl and Elton John’s Crocodile Rock.

Sheila Watts, who is married to Geoff, said: “The tent is here anyway for the horticultural show and year on year they don’t have enough money to run it.

“So Geoff said that we could help them and raise a bit of money and bring the village together.

“Geoff’s passion is to bring the village together and bring the people together and he said, ‘Well if people don’t organise it then nobody will come’. I do think it’s really important that we keep these things going. He didn’t know if there would be 10 or 100 people, we just didn’t know who would come.

“He’s got about four or five volunteers that have been working with him, and his plea is to keep these community events going.

“But it takes a lot of work from one human, or maybe three, that people don’t give anymore.”

She also said she enjoyed the music and complimented the lead singer, who is also her son.

She said: “I think Trey, the singer, is incredible to be honest, he’s really good.”

Paul Humphrey, who was on the event’s organising committee, added: “We probably expected fewer people, so 200 is brilliant.

“We thought it would be a great opportunity to have a community event.

“We tried to make it simple so people can bring a picnic and we put on a bar and otherwise its free.

“There is quite a strong community feeling in Ewelme, so people usually turn up to these things, but 200 is quite a good turnout.

“It’s just for everyone to come out and socialise and it’s good weather, it’s nice and warm.”