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what was druid 2002?
'DRUID 2002’, was a conference for all druid order members and others at the Amblecote and Wollaston Rooms, First Floor, Town Hall, The Crown Centre, Stourbridge, West Midlands on Saturday August 24th 2002, between 10.30 am and 7.30 pm. It was organised by Geoff Boswell on behalf of the Druid Forum.
It was held in Stourbridge, at the Town halls Wollaston and Amblecote Rooms after a prier conference held by the Pagan Federation was successfully undertaken. The evnt was ably supported with excellent assistance from the Town Hall staff and management. The PF WM conference had been addressed by, amongst others, the BDO's Philip Shallcrass (Greywolf) and the beloved Ronald Hutton. Greywolf reported that Professor Hutton felt that it had been the perfect pagan conference by being not too large, not too small and with a good balance. We intended to repeat that formula again. On that day the opening ritual was conducted by members of the BDO’s Hedd Wynls Grove, whose Geoff Boswell was responsible now for the running of the 2002 project.
We secured the services of Bobcat (Emma Restall Orr) to speak for the BDO, and Louise Turner to represent the Druids Of Albion, and the representative for OBOD was to be Matt McCabe , who was replaced by the excellent Damh the Bard, a perennial favourite on guitar and harp. From the Ancient Order of Druids we had Roger Hudson and our special guest from the University of Bristol was the inimitable Professor Ronald Hutton. We had negotiated to bring you these speakers from the Orders to address the attendees in an educational, entertaining and progressive programme of druidic topics with an open forum debate afterwards at the end of the day. This was to form part of the Druid Forum events, and the MC on the day was be Philip Shallcrass (Greywolf) on behalf of the Druid Forum and the Bards of Caer Abiri and Cor Gawr.
There was a multi-tier entrance fee; order members and prepaid tickets £9, children under 12 £5, concessions £7.50 and the general public on the day £11. It was hoped that the returns from the entrance fee will pay the travelling expenses of the speakers and the venue costs, which it did. Any additional revenue generated was put forward by the organiser to use in one of the many then new BDO projects. Merchandisers lined up for the day included the wonderful Jon and Julia Day fronting Capall Bann Publishing, Sandy and Magpie with Fairmoon Trading, Pat with Kaftanworld, Tony and Rose of Labyrinth Books, and selling his hand made jewellery was our own Brochfael Ysgithrog. Also there displaying his art work with pieces to sell was the exceptional Bill Worthington, the artist for the incomparable Druid Animal Oracle.
Entertainment will be in the format of a stunning 90 minute slide show with harp and narration from author and recording artist Fred Hageneder of Spirit of the Trees, and of course, the set from Dave Smith, Damh The Bard.
The event ended top great applause and delight and has passed into legendary status in the druidic world.
It had been hoped that the mantle might have been taken on by others for a follow up, and certainly Potia Kennedy organised Druidcon in 2003 at Glasgow University where Geoff Boswell was invited to speak...
It was held in Stourbridge, at the Town halls Wollaston and Amblecote Rooms after a prier conference held by the Pagan Federation was successfully undertaken. The evnt was ably supported with excellent assistance from the Town Hall staff and management. The PF WM conference had been addressed by, amongst others, the BDO's Philip Shallcrass (Greywolf) and the beloved Ronald Hutton. Greywolf reported that Professor Hutton felt that it had been the perfect pagan conference by being not too large, not too small and with a good balance. We intended to repeat that formula again. On that day the opening ritual was conducted by members of the BDO’s Hedd Wynls Grove, whose Geoff Boswell was responsible now for the running of the 2002 project.
We secured the services of Bobcat (Emma Restall Orr) to speak for the BDO, and Louise Turner to represent the Druids Of Albion, and the representative for OBOD was to be Matt McCabe , who was replaced by the excellent Damh the Bard, a perennial favourite on guitar and harp. From the Ancient Order of Druids we had Roger Hudson and our special guest from the University of Bristol was the inimitable Professor Ronald Hutton. We had negotiated to bring you these speakers from the Orders to address the attendees in an educational, entertaining and progressive programme of druidic topics with an open forum debate afterwards at the end of the day. This was to form part of the Druid Forum events, and the MC on the day was be Philip Shallcrass (Greywolf) on behalf of the Druid Forum and the Bards of Caer Abiri and Cor Gawr.
There was a multi-tier entrance fee; order members and prepaid tickets £9, children under 12 £5, concessions £7.50 and the general public on the day £11. It was hoped that the returns from the entrance fee will pay the travelling expenses of the speakers and the venue costs, which it did. Any additional revenue generated was put forward by the organiser to use in one of the many then new BDO projects. Merchandisers lined up for the day included the wonderful Jon and Julia Day fronting Capall Bann Publishing, Sandy and Magpie with Fairmoon Trading, Pat with Kaftanworld, Tony and Rose of Labyrinth Books, and selling his hand made jewellery was our own Brochfael Ysgithrog. Also there displaying his art work with pieces to sell was the exceptional Bill Worthington, the artist for the incomparable Druid Animal Oracle.
Entertainment will be in the format of a stunning 90 minute slide show with harp and narration from author and recording artist Fred Hageneder of Spirit of the Trees, and of course, the set from Dave Smith, Damh The Bard.
The event ended top great applause and delight and has passed into legendary status in the druidic world.
It had been hoped that the mantle might have been taken on by others for a follow up, and certainly Potia Kennedy organised Druidcon in 2003 at Glasgow University where Geoff Boswell was invited to speak...