The Nook has long nurtured and supported budding artists through open exhibitions, live music and open mic nights. The Holmfirth Arts Festival 2012 is no exception with live music throughout the festivals weekends; and a unique project in Th’owd Towser, Holmfirth’s oldest building, which combines artists’ books and zines, a temporary dry stone bar, and special ales being brewed to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Luddite movement.
The family run Nook Brewhouse will be brewing two Luddite themed brews, one a dark malty brown, “Sedition”, named aptly after the act of inciting rebellion and the lighter – “Twisted In”, after the secret oath Yorkshire Luddites paid to represent the many twisted fibres making up a strong yarn… in this case the many twisted hops making up a good ale!
‘Twisting In’ and ‘Sedition’ will be available throughout the Arts Festival (14th June- 24th June) at the Nook Pub, The Carniceria and at ‘Th’owd Towser’.
The Towser houses a project called Towser Bothy; upstairs will be a specially curated library of artists’ publications and zines, hand-printed and designed, on all sorts of subjects. Displayed on a bookstand designed by local artist Bob Milner, these will all be available to borrow and read. And what better place to read them than downstairs at the Towser, where local dry stone wallers Luke Powell and Tom Blaker have created a temporary dry stone wall bar out of reclaimed stone, staffed and managed by The Nook Brewhouse. Take your book or zine, get yourself a Festival Ale, and relax under a silken canopy created by artist Bob Clayden.
Towser Bothy will be open Friday, Saturdays and Sundays during the festival, through the afternoon and closing 9pm Friday and Saturday, and 7pm Sundays.
Complementing the seasonal brews, The Nook pub will be playing host to live music throughout the Art Festivals weekends; Saturday 16th June 9.30pm: Troy Faid; Sunday 17th June 4pm: Owen Phillips Experimental Folk; Saturday 23rd June 9.30pm: The Old Ribble Rousers; Sunday 24th June 4pm: Urban Giraffe.