Save the Date! The 2019 Screenings of Withnail at Uncle Monty's

Crow Crag. The window on the bottom left is the window 'that faces look in at'.

The ever-wonderful people at Picnic Cinema have announced the dates for the 2019 screenings of Withnail & I at Crow Crag, aka Uncle Monty's, aka (in real life) Sleddale Hall at Wet Sleddale in Cumbria's Lake District. For those if you in the know, the dates and the on-sale date for the tickets is below. For those of you not in the know, have a read of this (lengthy!) blog entry from a few years back, which will give you the crack (as they say in these parts).

So, the all important dates are Friday 28th and Saturday 28th of June.
Tickets will go on sale on Thursday 21st February at 10am (and be aware, in previous years they have sold out in 20 minutes...)

For more info, and to sign up to Picnic Cinema's mailing list, go to:
https://www.edenarts.co.uk/projects/picnic-cinema

Watching Withnail At Uncle Monty's (Slight Return)

I've just got back from Sleddale Hall, aka Crow Crag, where a fine time was had by all last night watching a certain film.

It absolutely pissed it down yesterday morning, it's absolutely pissing it down as I type this, and the previous three nights of Withnailfest this year were all very damp but last night, and this morning, we had glorious weather, with only the merest hint of a shower.

Hats off once again to the fabulous team at Picnic Cinema, who outdid themselves for this extra-special 30th anniversary year, and of course to Uncle Tim, the owner of Sleddale Hall, for letting us all sit in his courtyard and shout rude words until gone midnight.

I didn't take any photos this year (if you're interested, have a look at my exhaustive, and exhausting, photo-feature from 2014) but here's one of me with Uncle Monty. I look pretty happy, as indeed I was, thanks to the lack of rain, and a few ales.

Balls to Monty.

Withnail Returns to Crow Crag, aka Sleddale Hall!

Several hundred people have just had a delightful weekend in the country, thanks to the already legendary Picnic Cinema screenings of Withnail & I at Sleddale Hall, the location used for Uncle Monty's cottage.

Though I wasn't there this year (my experiences last year are commemorated in this epic post), I'm glad to see, via Picnic Cinema's Facebook Page that the fourth annual event evidently went off splendidly. Here's a selection of the photos that have been posted, some of which appear to have been taken from a very, very long selfie stick, or even, rather alarmingly, some kind of drone!

There were three screenings this year, all instant sell-outs. No doubt it'll be the same story in 2016, and indeed in 2017, which will be, believe it or not, the film's 30th anniversary!

Thanks should be given once again not only to the Picnic Cinema team who organise it all, but also for the kind permission given by Sleddale Hall's owner, Tim, to allow Withnail fans this ultimate pilgrimage. (And yes, the house is private property, so please don't be tempted to go trespassing around it the rest of the year!)

I'll close this post with a lovely bit of Withnailia, spotted on twitter earlier this week when it was posted by its creator, the fabulous artist Jonathan Edwards. While the original is in his sketchbook and not for sale (yes, I asked...) Jonathan is considering doing a print of it. Count me in if he does! His website is here, his online shop is here, and you can follow him on twitter @Jontofski or read his blog.

He's sitting down to enjoy his holiday...