Hi potato diggers, 

I’ve just dug up my ’pink fir apple’ potato crop today – mighty good they look too! 

The band has just completed a 7 week tour of south Essex – pretty much every Saturday night since the outdoor dance on Blanchfields Pub car park, Rochford through to the harvest barn dance at St Michael’s Church, Leigh on 20th Oct featuring dancers of all ages 5-80 and a splendid ‘bring and share’ meal. 

In between we played for parties in Little Burstead and on Canvey, for the Ramblers’ Assn at Ashingdon, for Thundersley Congregational Church’s social night and for a British/Cuban wedding in Romford. 

Gilwell Park had fireworks on 1st August to celebrate the centenary of scouting…they also had the Famous Potatoes playing and singing for the jubilee staff on a dark field. 

Hope to see some of you at forthcoming dances.

See you at the next do!

We're based in Leigh-on-Sea, four miles west of Southend-on-Sea, Essex - 40 miles (65 km) east of London, England.

"One of Britain's best barn dance bands" - Andy Kershaw

Forthcoming Events

We're playing a St George's Day gig for the FaB Club in Grays, Essex, on Sunday 20 April at 2.30 pm. See their website for more information.

We're playing a barn dance for the Rayleigh Lions in Rayleigh, Essex, on Saturday 10 May from 7.30-10.30 pm. Tickets from Andy on 07889 421012.

We're playing a barn dance in Romford, Essex, on Saturday 31 May. Tickets from Claire on 07855 461048.

We're playing a barn dance for Fair Havens Hospice at Home in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on Saturday 7 June from 8-11.30 pm. Tickets from Ros on 07885 835553.

We're playing a barn dance for a Cystic Fibrosis charity in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, on Saturday 21 June. Details from Joe on 01702 582810.

We're playing a free outdoor barn dance at the Leigh Folk Festival on Sunday 29 June, starting about 1.40 pm after the procession. Just turn up - see the Folk Festival website for more information.
Leigh Folk Festival was in the Observer newspaper's "Holidays for half the price" feature on 16 March. "Instead of: Glastonbury - £120 Try: The Leigh Folk Festival - Free". We couldn't have put it better ourselves!

Over the last few years the trend has been for most of our bookings to be for private functions - weddings, engagement parties, anniversaries, birthdays, private clubs etc. We're sorry if you would like to come and see us and find that there aren't any events you can make, but this is just how the bookings go!

We play about once a quarter for the Grand Ceilidh Club at Southend Rugby Club - phone John on 01702 203695 for details. This is a club that meets every Wednesday with a live band, and is very deserving of your support. Please note that the club is for members and guests only, so contact them first for an invitation to a free visit. We're playing there next on Wednesday 23 April.

See our new section featuring Keith's own barn dance instructions! There are now two dances for you to try...