1969 and all that!

Today's ultimate aim was to reach Manchester (Connecticut) via a planned side-trip to Bethel NY .... site of the most famous music festival in history 'Woodstock 69'! The journey to Bethel was intriguing. We were in the Catskills, passing through stunning forest-clad mountain scenery (and only a hundred miles from New York City! But this was a superficial view of our surroundings and we soon appreciated that the small towns that we passed through were steeped in Jewish culture and had once boasted many sizable holiday centres, now deserted. We discovered that this area was once (certainly in the 50s) a vibrant holiday hot spot, particularly amongst New York's Jewish community, hosting top-line acts of that era e.g. Frank Sinatra. However, the introduction of cheap air travel killed-off the tourist industry and the townships. Anyway, arriving in Bethel or rather the Bethel Woods Arts Centre and Museum, we were instantly captivated by the beauty of the place and its historical significance. For it was here that fifty thousand young people gathered in 1969, a time of great political uncertainty in the US and the world generally, to demonstrate their optimism for a brave new world through music! The museum and its surroundings, now the centre of regular music events, are stunning!

For the uninitiated, back in the day several naive young guys with access to capital decided to organise a music festival in Woodstock. They hired a field, managed to book Jimi Hendrix as the headline act (and some local musicians such as Janice Jopplin and The Band), and then proceeded to book a number of other top and lessor known musicians. They sold tickets to the tune of over one-million pounds, only then to find that the establishment had managed to stop them using the Woodstock venue. They didn't throw in the towel, but rented a field in Bethel. No more needs to be said, but the Museum is fascinating, a must see.  (The back-stories of the musicians who performed in 69 are fascinating ..... the lead female singer in one lessor known group went on to become Lady Mayor of Aberystwyth!). Before taking off for a very busy conclusion to our day's journey, we took time out to visit the Woodstock Monument, at the very place where the stage was built for that momentous event.

Choosing some music for today's posting was pretty difficult, given the enormity of choice that Woodstock offers. Jimi Hendrix? Jefferson Airplane? Well no actually, I plumped for Country Joe and the Fish and the Vietnam song!