Festival Fever for Number 6

We were thrilled and delighted to welcome some very special guests at the Oakeley Arms this weekend. It was the brilliant Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, who were at the Oakeley because they were appearing at the brilliant Festival Number 6, just down the road in Portmeirion.

Martha and the Vandellas are an American motown group who shot to fame in the 1960s and 70s. Founded in 1960 by a group of friends including Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford, Gloria Williams and later Martha Reeves herself, the Vandellas’ biggest, and arguably most well known, hit was “Dancing in the Street” which hit the radio waves in 1964. Other hit songs include “Jimmy Mack” and “Nowhere to Run”.

Martha & The Vandellas performing in 2011
Image by Bengt Nyman on Wikimedia Commons

In total, the group had a whopping 26 chart hits, with ten of them making the Top Ten. The group split up in 1972, but they do reform occasionally for special appearances, and last weekend at Festival Number 6 was one of those magical shows!

And, by all accounts, the festival was an enormous success. Musicians, comedians, choirs, authors and poets were all welcomed to the fantastic setting that is Portmeirion village. And the weather was even good for it too – sunshine over a festival weekend is not something that happens too often!

We’re excited about next year’s festival already, so watch this space for more news soon.

And a big thanks to Martha Reeves for calling to see us here at the Oakeley Arms. We hope to see you again soon Martha!