Hi everyone - Mindya will be holding its 5th FREE Rockfest August 22, 23 and 24th. The first day will be setting up the stage, sound, lighting etc. and then starting around 6.30pm probably with the Kmet's speech and folk singing. Then new/young groups will be playing and competing in a competition with the winners getting a recording session. An excellent idea to help young bands getting some publicity and air play. The next two days established groups will be playing plus Jim Hawkins Jimmy Hendrix Tribute group, Purple Haze playing on the Friday. The event will climax with the ever popular Vasko the Patch and Evgenii Dainov's Magistri and Blues Traffic. All information on FB Mindya Rockfest open g :Party2: :Wav: :Band: :Band:roup.
Unfortunately last year our local shop was refused permission to extend opening hours which upset a lot of campers and those wanting cigarettes and ice-creams. This year Tom and I got up a petition to put forward to help get the licence so hopefully it will be open this year.

It will be great to see more English faces in the audience and more stalls offering crafts etc. Karen's book stall will be there as usual. Last year the audience had grown to around 3,000 or more from the origingal 500 in 2009. We are both very proud to have sponsored and supported this festival in the village and this will be our last one. We are leaving Bulgaria soon after for another adventure back in Blighty. Mindya is now firmly on the map and has the support of Veliko Turnovo Obshtina and is officially registered as a non'profitmaking organisation.

Sounds great, I hope it's another great year for the festival

yes we have been before and loved it. we will miss it this year as we are off to Greece next week so hope it all goes well and doesn't rain or it will be a repeat of glastonbury Have fun every body ::

Even if it does rain it will go ahead. Won't faze rock fans. Last year it was the hottest day of the year! Should be huge because a lot of rockers will stay in the area because it is the VT Motofest this week.
As its our last one it would be great to meet up with any Brit attending. I know some have been before but have never had the pleasure. Its an event for all the family and anyone who holds a stall at car boots would be welcome to set up in Mindya. Hope to see you all there.

Some people say that rock is dead, well think again!! Annette and I went to the Rockfest last night and had a great time, it was really like Glastonbury without the mud. Food and drinks were a reasonable price and the atmosphere was tremendous, it rekindled my youth with live rock bands playing one after another. Having played the drums with rock groups as a youngster my fingers were tapping away on our tabletop and feet tapping on the ground, if there had been a spare set of drums I would have been playing them!!

In the midst of Bulgarian Rockers and British Rockers enjoying themselves Annette and myself were given another treat, out of nowhere appeared a very friendly and happy lady who was thoroughly enjoying herself and who was it I hear you ask . . . well, it was no less than oldun who was taking photographs of people enjoying themselves and she stood in front of us with her camera and took a picture of Mr and Mrs Itchy. However, at this point she didn't know that we were itchy and we didn't know she was oldun until we were told by somebody "
that was oldun that just took your picture."
So I walked over to the table where she was sitting and introduced myself, at this point oldun went into a friendly frenzy and I was hugged as though she had just found a long lost family member.

We exchanged many interesting pieces of information about Bulgaria and Britain and oldun had remembered that we had lived in Turkey for a few years as well, so a good conversation took place. She is slightly concerned that she is taking the right decision in returning to live in the UK because she believes that BG is a lovely country, but many of us have taken decisions based on information that we had at the time and hoped that were doing the right thing and none of us know what the future holds for us.

So Annette and I wish her and Hero the very best for the future in our Great Britain and hope that all their hopes for the future come true.

Oh heck I had it down for this coming weekend - can't believe I missed it again, the only year we are in BG too.

So glad it all went well looking forward to the pictures Oldun. Itchy for the update so glad you enjoyed it.

oddball wrote:

Oh heck I had it down for this coming weekend - can't believe I missed it again, the only year we are in BG too.

So glad it all went well looking forward to the pictures Oldun. Itchy for the update so glad you enjoyed it.

:Thank you:Berni - we will certainly go again next year, fantastic night!!

:Thank you:Itchyfeet for that lovely post. Still feeling a bit hungover so can't write more now but will later with a couple of pics especially the one I took of you if thats okay? I'm off for an early night. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Itchyfeet and friend.

Mindya Rockfest. Me and Tom with two of the guys who donated blood when he was in hospital.

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Too many pics too little time but I hope these give a flavour.

:Thank you:for the photos looks like the energy and the atmosphere was good
pleased to hear you all had a good time sorry we couldn't be there will it be the same time next year? lets get the date in the diary

Date will be announced later. There will be another Rockfest its too big to stop now. Bulgarians and rockers come from all over. Mindya is a very well-loved village. We, of course, won't be around but will keep in touch here or on FB. Internet has its uses! [attachment=0]
I told you our pensioners love to rock!

oldun wrote:

Date will be announced later. There will be another Rockfest its too big to stop now. Bulgarians and rockers come from all over. Mindya is a very well-loved village.
I told you our pensioners love to rock!

Of course we like to rock oldun - our generation invented it. I chauffeured Rick Parfit of Status Quo to two of his Rock Concerts at Wembley Arena in a stretch limo (good times!!) and was given a concert pass each time. They were brilliant, the average age of the audience was between 25 and 30, so everyone of all ages enjoy Rock and Roll, long may it continue.