SORRY WOODSTOCK

SORRY WOODSTOCK

150 150 Ventnor Fringe

You find yourself located within the deepest south insane asylum of the British Isles, commonly referred to as the Isle of Wight. This insanity comes from the Island’s passion for music and all manner of cultural oddities.  

Let me cast your minds away from the present day to the summer of 1969. To one of the most revered historic events that British modern history has ever seen. The day the Isle of Wight very nearly sank.

Not literally you understand, I suppose I should explain…

A mass pilgrimage descended upon the Isle of Wight to behold their deity, Bob Dylan. This was an event unheard of by this sleepy coast of Britannia. Some 15,000 people alighted the (substantially smaller than we have today) boat service chanting ‘The Times They are A-Changin’  and sporting their ‘Help Bob Dylan Sink The IOW’ bumper stickers.

An audience of 15,000 may not seem such a ghastly number these days. But put it this way, if a culturally historic event of this magnitude happened now the Island certainly would sink.  

The man of the hour that put this pint-sized Island into the music archives is Ray Foulk. Ray slipped Dylan out from underneath the organisers of Woodstock; Dylan’s own back garden, and all the way across the seas to the Isle of Wight.

Ray and his daughter, Caroline Foulk, have written a book about this fantastic story and will be hosting a talk with questions at 7.30pm in Ventnor Arts Club this evening. Be there to hear the story of how Ray Foulk began Stealing Dylan from Woodstock.