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[Andy in Vermont]

I understand that there was a new venue this year.  Any new types of melodeons sighted?
-Andy

[ganderbox]

Looks like nobody from here went, Andy!
I went there a couple of times in the early 90's, and on one occasion came back cradling a new hurdy gurdy which I'd just bought, but with no case to put it in. I'd love to go again...there's just nothing like it. It can take you the whole time just to get round the stalls, and now I'd really like to go with the aim of trying all the melodeons, which I didn't do when I went before.
It seems odd to think of it not being in the chateau grounds, and I too would be interested to hear how it went.

[tiny]

I went in 1981 ish!!  Fabulous.  The bloke I went with came back and made a hurdy gurdy, very good it was too. Suppose its time to go again   Not any help for your question though.

[Chris Ryall]

Was there again last year. Sorry, but I felt it's lost its soul. The Berichon spotted youth brigade had moved in in a big way about 2000 and the village scene has become a massive piss up for the locals. Cadavres des bouteilles everywhere, generally broken and scattered underfoot. Bit of a health menace.

For me the great hallmark of St Chartier festival had been the village square after midnight. It was sex on legs, and any aftermath was generally described as . In the 90's there would be six or more imprompru bands playing for dance on various stages, round the corner of the chateau. Last year there was just one such dance floor set up. No provision for the musicians at all- a couple were playing schottiches in the gutter by the decking. It looked rather sad.

The main festival has moved to a fenced off, stewarded site on the top of the hill above the chateau.  It seemed to fade after about 2am and was much more 'organised', with booked groups. In that it lost something.

Though St Chartier remains a perfect place to try and buy an instrument, I think the focus of the central French scene has moved on - arguably to Gennetinnes who now run two festivals, July and August. I'll be trying this weekend. Wish me luck. Then it's the Alps for a week of musique traditionale with and co

[ganderbox]

I had heard it had got like that, and that the dance stages outside the walls were no more. It was probably inevitable that, with an enormous free campsite (or it least it was when I was there) it would be invaded by people with no interest in the festival or the music, and who just wanted to get out of their heads, without any thought for the damage they were doing to the village and the festival.
It had been heading that way for a while, but it was mostly just travellers, nouveau hippies and hair-braiders, with no real trouble. I remember the drums, the drums,  going on all night.....

Despite this, I'd still like to go around the instrument stalls again, as I know a lot more about them now than I did 14 years or so ago, and I think I'd get a lot more out of it than I did then.

Shame about the lack of bourrees horizontale, though. I do remember doing a schottische at an improbable angle, but miraculously not falling over, after we had been unwittingly enticed into helping someone win a competition to get rid of a 5 litre plastic barrel of cheap red wine!