First Fridays 2011

Friday 7th October: 4-6pm

Guided Culture Show Art Trail walks at 4pm and 5pm – meet outside Gertie’s Cafe on Mill Street
Guided Heritage Trail walks from 4.30pm and 5pm – meet outside the Co-op
workshop at Craftihands, some cafes open

Friday 2nd September:

Guided Heritage Trail walks from 4.30pm

Art Openings – BBC’s Culture Show returns to Bideford, you’ll find art and creative work and happenings in non-gallery spaces throughout September and October there are 16 venues and 14 artists to enjoy. There will be a variety of venues open for First Friday and creatives will be giving guided Art Trails through the town at 5.15pm. The official launch will happen at Gertie’s from 6-7pm – buy a coffee, tea and one of Sue’s lovely cakes or a glass of wine and meet and chat to some of the participating artists who are all members of Bideford Bay Creatives. Please join us for the opening of this year’s ‘Culture Show’ project in Bideford.

There will also be live music from maestro saxophonist Graham Clarke at Blazey’s Cafe on Mill Street with a bbq from 5pm. Froot Loop are serving a Moroccan curry on a bed of cous cous with a side salad and glass of organic wine or cider for £9.50

Friday 5th August:

Blazeys cafe on Mill Street are putting on a special bbq and alongside this infront of the Baptist Church we have the Parkham Spinners Majorette Troop performing at 4.30pm, this will be followed by Richard Narbett and band who will be doing an acoustic set. Various shops will be open in the vicinity and there will be a marquee outside the Coop for local artists to demonstrate their practice. There will be a Moroccan themed afternoon at Froot Loop.

There are also free Guided Heritage Walks, from outside the Co-op, at 5pm and 5.30pm.

Friday 1st July:

Heritage Day Eve

– Elizabethan themed, come in fancy dress.

Bideford’s hey-day was is the Elizabethan era when Sir Richard Grenville sent ships to what is now Roanoke Island in North Carolina to colonise the New World. The first English colony didn’t survive but fact, myth and legend surrounding it’s whereabouts are still strong today and brought to life with ex-mayor Andy Powell’s new book ‘Grenville and the Lost Colony of Roanoke’. Bideford also sent a massive fleet of 5 ships (third largest in the country) to fight the Spanish Armada. Trade was booming in the 17th century with our port importing more tobacco than anywhere except London and exporting our pottery to Virginia and around the world.

To celebrate traders, artists and entertainers this Friday will be adorning Elizabethan Ruffs, some in complete costumes and generally doing all things Elizabethan except throwing the slops into the Street.

First Friday extends into Bridgeland Street where ‘the Little Gallery on the Farm’ pop-up gallery will be opening late.

Friday 3rd June:

Buskers, a quartet of bagpipes, a number of artists demonstrating their craft and a very well attended guided heritage walk. There was also an art opening of the Bideford/Manteo Postcard Exchange at the Burton Art Gallery.

Friday 6th May:

Mayor of Manteo, Jamie Daniels, to officially open First Fridays via a web-link at 4pm in Mill Street, outside Froot Loop. Lots of businesses have First Fridays posters in their windows and many are staying open until 7pm.

BBC artists will be demonstrating their art and craft skills. Alison Richman aims to show you how to make this horse.

Members of PastPresent will be dressed in Elizabethan period costume – ask them to tell you about Bideford’s unique past!

Bideford Health Foods on Mill Street will be open 4-7pm and Daniel Hall will be offering free taster sessions on reflexology and they’ll have an on-site chair.

Craftihands, on Mill Street, will be open and are running a workshop to make ‘dreamcatchers’. This is appropriately Native American and Bideford had one living here in 1587 from Roanoke Island where Manteo now stands. Bideford’s Native American, named Rawley, came here with our Lord of the Manor Sir Richard Grenville and was the first American Indian to be baptised a Christian in this country and is buried in St Mary’s Churchyard.

Mike at Velvet and Vanilla on Cooper Street has this offer:
FIRST FRIDAY OFFER !
To support the Bideford “First Friday” arts and enterainment initiative
Enjoy a relaxing evening of Latin, Cuban & Brazillian grooves
Buy any 3 mezze dishes + a bottle of wine for ONLY £20!
Available from 4-8pm first Friday of every month until further notice – families welcome!
Want to book a table? Call 01237 420444 or 07772 568275 or emaill info@velvetandvanilla.co.uk