In the eyes of their masters, however, the real offence was that they had dared to form a trade union to defend their livelihood. For this they were sentenced to seven years' transportation to the penal colonies of Australia. The sentences provoked an immense outcry, leading to the first great mass trade union protest.

The campaign won free pardons and the Martyrs' return to England.

A historic episode in the struggle for trade unionists' rights in Great Britain.

We shall never forget what we owe them.

Friday Night in the Martyrs' Marquee

7.00 Get cape, wear cape, fly

Fresh from working on Love Music Hate Racism, Sam Duckworth the laptop-acoustic wunder-kid opens the show.

8.00 The Hightown Crows

The Hightown Crows broken bottleneck blues sound with a country twist, raw rock and roll from a fly-blown chickenshack somewhere in Dorset.

9.45 Three Daft Monkeys

A colourful carnival of sound. This innovative and exciting trio supported the Levellers across Europe. Rousing vocals, frenetic fiddling, rhythmical 12-string guitar, dancing bass and foot drum. Whether it's Celtic, Balkan, Gypsy, Latino, or other World Music you are drawn to, you will hear its influences in their self written music. It's quirky, it's groovy,

Saturday 15 July

For the Kids

Lots going on for all ages over the weekend.

Marquee Stalls until 5pm

If you want to book a stall space call the South West TUC on 0117 947 0521 for information.

Music Free and Easy

Bar Area 1pm onwards

Graham Moore hosts an Open Mic session with traditional and contemporary musicians, singers, poets and stand-ups. All welcome.

Martyrs' Marquee Discussions

1.30pm

Unions and Climate Change, speakers include:

Paul Noon, chair of the Trade Union Sustainable Development Advisory Committee and Prospect General Secretary;
Phil Pearson, TUC Policy Officer covering energy and climate change;
Martyn Williams, Friends of the Earth

3.30pm

Latin America turns left, speakers include:

Owen Tudor, TUC Head of European Union and International Relations
Representatives from Cuba Solidarity, Justice for Colombia and others

Saturday evening 7.30 to midnight

THE demon barber roadshow with special guests: A high energy music and dance spectacular. 'The show is a dynamic, forward-looking approach to traditional music for the new century' (Mel McLelland, BBC Radio2), 'Just the kind of shot in the arm that folk music needs from time to time' (Nigel Schofield, Free Reed)

Tickets £10

Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival Sunday 16 July 2006

Entrance Free

Parking: £5

(£20 for coaches)

Main Stage

11.00 Welcome

Chair of the South West TUC opens the day's celebrations.

11.05 Bleeding Hearts

Bleeding Hearts have a bucketful of anger, emotion, great big tunes and a lot to say. They combine big guitars with strong vocals shouted and sung with emotion with some lovely melodic and uplifting energetic fast folk violins all the way through. An excellent festival band that combine an exciting full-on live show with moments of acoustic reflection and an important cultural message which also retains a big element of fun.

11.45 The Yetties

The Yetties are one of England's most popular folk groups. They take their name from the Dorset village of Yetminster and they still live close by. Their obvious love of the West Country, its songs, stories and humour wins them friends wherever they go. Their music and their enthusiasm has taken them all over the world. They have recorded no less than 45 albums and must be about the only performers to have worked on BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

12.30 Guest Speakers including

Gloria Mills, TUC President
Gemma Tumelty, President National Union of Students

Oscar Oliveira, Executive Secretary, Federation of Factory Workers of Cochabamba, Bolivia

12.45 Susheela Raman

Susheela is an extraordinary new talent on the world music scene. Her bold and sensuous voice weaves the music of India with sounds from her Western upbringing, celebrating the collision of European, African, and Asian musical cultures. Empowered by her Indian classical training but not limited by it, Susheela maps out a new musical landscape of intense beauty and invention.

1.00 Wreath laying

While the music plays, wreaths are laid on the grave of Martyr James Hammett in St John's Church

1.45 Dedication of the Parade - call to march.

You must have a good cause to march for.

2.00 Grand Procession led by

The Great Western Marching Jazz Band

The Musicians' Union band has been leading Labour Movement events for many years.

3.00 Guest Speakers including

Shami Chakrabarti Director of Liberty
Brendan Barber TUC General Secretary
Tony Benn

3.30 Freshlyground

Freshlyground have a busy year: a national tour of South Africa, a UK tour in July, including the Tolpuddle Festival, followed by Germany and Belgium.

Freshlyground, formed in 2002, is one of South Africa's most successful young acts. Made up of seven talented and diverse musicians from South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. With a strong word of mouth buzz based on the band's live performance reputation - momentum has picked up as the sheer quality of the music begun to shine through. The band weave a musical magic that is highly infectious and undeniably groovy.

4.30 Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg was recently described as a 'national treasure'. In the two decades of his career Bragg has certainly made an indelible mark on the conscience of British music, becoming perhaps the most stalwart guardian of the radical dissenting tradition that stretches back over centuries of the country's political, cultural and social history.

Kids Area
Plenty for children both young and old

PlayPlus will be providing Parachute games, floor activities and mask making craft activity throughout the weekend. Sara Ayling and Fran Marsh are back again this year running a flag making workshop for everyone who wants to join the procession in style. The bouncy castle will be run by volunteers from West Dorset Friends of the Earth, so jump around and help the planet.

Mr. Mojo's Roadshow is a must, a fast, furious and fun filled energy-fest that children love and parents are drawn into as well. Guaranteed to keep kids singing and dancing. Noah Messomo brings storytelling and drumming to Tolpuddle. Originally from Cameroon, Noah has built up a huge reputation for involving everyone in his enthusiastic drum workshops and shouldn't be missed. Pop along and check activity times on the day.

Martyrs' MarqueeCompere Herbie Treehead

Star of stage and screen Herbie Treehead is 'a one man entertainment centre' and 'a very talented, strange little man who has done a lot of unusual things'. Herbie will be keeping the show moving along with ridiculous stories, jokes and a trick or two to keep you entertained.

11.00 Wob

With just one guitar and an extra long pair of vocal chords, Wob opens Sunday's Marquee Stage with his humourous and passionate combination of clever acoustic style and perky stage presence. Definitely worth seeing.

12.00 David Rovics

has been called the musical voice of the progressive movement in the US. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, and he will make the revolution irresistible.

1.00 The Herbie Treehead Band

(leading onto the procession)

Herbies back on with his band of Glastonbury and Edinburgh Festival regulars, playing songs from their album 'Sleepy songs and not very sleepy songs'. Take time out before the procession to see music for all the family, silliness, dancing, juggling, and anything else that's ridiculous.

3.00 Heron

A rare chance to listen to distinctive English style of pastoral song-driven music that Heron have been producing since the late 60's. Their music is outdoor, light and summery, featuring strong vocal harmonies with a touch of Autumn melancholia, and provides the perfect post procession chill out in the Marquee.

4.30 The Kate Garrett Band

Evocative music that is complex, unsettling and deeply beautiful. A sensual overload of fluid vocals, driving acoustic guitar, textured percussion and cello that flies effortlessly between graceful melodic lines and sonic anarchy. It's great to hear an ostensibly "acoustic" act work up something so strange and dangerous in order to take the listener somewhere new.

Open View

Camping
Advanced booking with the South West TUC is strongly advised.

£25 to camp over the weekend with a two-person tent. £35 for camper vans and larger tents. Fee includes parking. Sorry, no cars will be allowed on the camping area. No caravans. Space is very tight, pitches are allocated on arrival so if planning to camp in groups please arrange to arrive together.

Hot showers.

Hot breakfasts available.

Buy On-line

Weekend camping and saturday night tickets are available for purchase. Entrance to the festival is free. The shop also stocks a wide range of books, souvenirs and gifts Visit the online shop at http://www.tuc.org.uk/tolpuddle

How to get to Tolpuddle

Please follow signs from the A35 to the car park to the west of the village.

Parking

Sunday parking charges:

£5 per car, £20 for coaches.

Friday & Saturday only: £2 (campers free)

Train

Take the train to Dorchester or park and ride. Coach from Dorchester South on Sunday10.30am and 11.30am returning from Tolpuddle 5.30pm and 6.30pm

(Subject to timetable review in June).

£2 each way.