Maggie discovers a treasure chest of festival memorabilia

MUSICIAN'S PHOTO COLLECTION DATES BACK TO EARLY YEARS OF BELOVED EVENT

- By JADE MCELWEE [e-mail] @JadeMReporter

A 75-YEAR-OLD grandma has opened a photographic window that celebrates the life and times of a much-loved dance theatre festival.

Maggie Gee, a retired musician and tutor, has unearthed a wonderful collection of memorabilia documenting several wonderful years of the Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance, which celebrates six decades in August. In a remarkable twist the photographer who created the bank of documentary photography was actually Maggie's father, Walter Crinnion.

The divorcee has a daughter Sally, and four grownup grandchildren. Maggie grew up in Billingham, and moved away after getting married, and now lives in Brotton, near Saltburn by the Sea.

Maggie played the bass guitar for many years in local social clubs but more recently has turned to the acoustic guitar. Maggie plays in folk clubs and open mic nights across the area.

Walter's newly rediscovered photography vault spans from the summer of 1968, when Maggie was 17 going on 18, until 1974 when he died. The Billingham Folklore Festival was a real family affair for Maggie with all of her siblings getting involved.

Joining Maggie were Liz, Harry, Mary, Pauline - who is shown in the archive photograph holding the guitar and Spanish flag - Veronica and Stephen.

Maggie recalled her first involvement with the Folklore Festival.

It all began way back in the 1960s when she was about 17. Before the festival had actually begun, an international group from the Canary Islands were doing a display in the Billingham Trades Union Club, just along the road from her family home.