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Updated July 2021

For information on today's festivals see eFestivals.co.uk

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This site is dedicated in the memory of

Roger Hutchinson,

who inspired me to delve deep into the magic of the free festival and who passed away Sept 3rd 2010.

R.I.P. Roger .....


 

Mid Wales Festival

Llanbister. Powys

July 1991 .


Part Two : Traveller Daves pix
   

    Llanbister was one of the last flings by the free festival movement before the dreaded Criminal Justice and Public Order Act came into force which made it almost impossible for a group of two or more people to stay on land ,whether private or common ( let alone hold a festival ) without facing nasty punitive measures from the nasty punitive people that formed the Tory goverment of the day ........ bless their little iron hearts :-(

Fortunately, although the dreaded travellers were a depraved and desperate bunch (we know this cos we read it in the Sun :-) ) amazingly some had sufficient brain cells left to enable them to actually operate a camera , hence the photos below , brought to you courtesy of the esteemed Traveller Dave .

Long shot of the site © Traveller Dave

Ex ambulance Bedford XFX249B © Traveller Dave

Adults didn't have ALL the fun © Traveller Dave

Whoo hooo, here comes THE ALBION ! © Traveller Dave

Devil sticks © Traveller Dave

Julian and Shamel © Traveller Dave

Loretta and friend © Traveller Dave

AEC Reliance BGS 705A © Traveller Dave

Ex Navy Bedford CHA875Y © Traveller Dave

Bedford TK HNY517W © Traveller Dave

Austin HFA 559N © Traveller Dave

Sarah, Pete and unknown Doggy friend © Traveller Dave

Seddon GWX 840J© Traveller Dave

Tat doing washing © Traveller Dave

© Traveller Dave

Tilly's Bedford ABD699A © Traveller Dave

Bedford DFU85L © Traveller Dave

BMC SRO881J © Traveller Dave

Natty little Bedford WXE 298, leaving the festival © Traveller Dave

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Free Festivals List

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Free festivals and small fayres held in the United Kingdom between 1967-90.

1967-69.

 1970-79  
1980-92

 

  • Windsor Peoples Free Festival 1972-74
 
 Free festival related articles
Pay Festivals- Benefits for Travellers aid.
 

Main list of Free festivals 1970-1985

Free rock festivals of the 70s and 80s

Publications

ffhf

We are proud of the contribution we have made to Andy Worthington's sociological history of Stonehenge and the free festival scene in the UK .This new book gives a fascinating insight into the various counter cultural obsessions with the Stones and provides a variety of new perspectives to many of the key events surrounding the Henge such as the Battle Of The Beanfield and the more recent attempts hold a celebration at the Stones during the Solstice.

 

Find out more about this great book by clicking on the image on the left and visit the Heart of Albion Press web site .

Sending details of a small book I've just self-published which might be of interest to some readers of your admirable site.

Related Articles

The aroma of a free festival -by Roger Hutchinson

Dome construction instruction sheet (download-140k)-by Roger Hutchinson

Travellers Tales Convoy Steve's tale of how the freaks outsmarted the fuzz at Greenham common.

Zorch -House band for the free festival set ? A fanzine page on the UK's first electronic band .

Tibetan Ukranian Mountain Troupe-surreal pranksters of the Traveller community .

Acidia Lightshow Lightshow for Windsor festival and Stonehenge in the 1970s.

Traveller Daves Website - Chock full of of free festival photos !

Many, many thanks go to Roger Hutchinson , Big Steve , Roger Duncan, Celia, Will , Chazz, Jeza ,Chris Hewitt ,The Fabulous Time Tortoise , Peter Piwowarski - ( 70s music site/photos ) Martin S, Steve Austin ,Traveller Dave, Herb, Tim Brighton, Vin Miles, Haze Evans , Noddy Guevara, Chris Brown, Janet Thompson, David Stooke, Gary Gibbons , Nigel Ayers, Rich Deakin ,Glenda Pescardo,Justin Warman,Brian F, Steve Bayfield, Kev Ellis, Paul Seaton and many other minor contributors for their help in providing the archival material related to these free festivals which has at enabled us to construct the site .

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