2015 Festival

Large crowds enjoyed fine weather and cracking music from groups such as Thee Faction, Naomi Bedford, Seth Lakeman, The Beat and Billy Bragg. The year was the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta and Parliament had marked the occassion with a set of giant artworks, inlcuding one by disabled artist Jason Wilsher-Mills dedicated to the Tolpuddle Martyrs. This theme was taken up at the Tolpuddle Radical History School that focused on the Culture of Protest. A new AV Trail trhough the village had been launched and was widely used during the Festival.

The Festival fell during the Labour Party leadership election and Jeremy Corbyn was gathering a lot of support. This was shown when he arrived late on the Sunday afternoon and spoke from the Unison marquee, receiving a rapturous reception.

The Festival hosted the first wedding – between Lynn and Gary who formed their own union in the small museum, had great photos under the Tolpuddle Tree and held their reception in a marquee behind the cottages before joining the festival entrtainment.

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  2015 was the first year the GMB had its own field.

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