Bird and Baby Yard Party – a time to reflect and a time to look forward…

By Bilbeto Longburrow  The yard parties at the Bird and Baby have been running for a year now (how time flies eh?) so perhaps it’s time to have a look back at the year gone by and look forwards to the year to come. 

Set up by the elusive Theorbo-solo playing Master Chucro, the Bird and Baby yard parties have had their ups and downs – but mostly ups, I would like to think!  

Bilbeto, Linsina and a wide variety of regulars have seen the Thursday Yard Party grow gradually from the initial 3 or 4 to a little crowd well into double figures (or quadruple figures depending on how much ale folks have had!). Members of lots of famous local Shire bands (too many to name) have played for us in twos, threes, fours and more, most every week with lots of talented solo performers too. Sometimes we’ve had bands from distant lands play entire concerts, with excellent performances by the Evendim Hillbillies and the Crazy Ladies of the Forest! Recent weeks have seen the hobbits of Vanimor (the Vanimettes?) playing regularly and the addition of a very welcome story telling slot! Complementing the music, a talented bunch of ever more in-step dancers are getting very polished with the regular dancing opportunities at the Yard Party and Green Dragon Friday. We’re looking forward to an increase in the size of our giant-flower dance troupe for next year too!