Unfortunately, Freaks is no longer managing to meet four times a year for want of organizers. However:

Next Event:

Hope, March 27–29th 2026

30th anniversary and 100th Freaks

We will be based in Loxley Hall, Market Place, Hope S33 6RH, the site of the first Freaks in the Peaks.

Friday 27th

Meet in Loxley Hall or The Old Hall Hotel (just across the road from Loxley hall). There should be people around by 6 or 7pm. If you want a meal then, please get in touch with them to book.

Saturday 28th

  • Dancing workshop at 10am until about 1pm.
  • Lunch: Eat something you've brought in the hall, or go to the pub.
  • After lunch (probably about 2), dancing at the Old Hall and then the Woodroffe Arms.
  • Evening: shared meal in Loxley hall followed by our own entertainment. Please bring contributions if you intend to join in, but feel free to eat elsewhere. There are shops in the village if you wish to buy things when you are in Hope.

Sunday 29th

Gather around 10am for a walk through the fields to Castleton, followed by dancing outside The George pub. There are buses fairly regularly between Hope and Castleton should you not want to do the walk. Then back to Loxley Hall to clean and tidy up, ready to leave at 5pm.

Accomodation and travel

Loxley Hall is available for sleeping in as usual.

There's a caravan and campsite about 10 minutes walk away. For camper vans there is nowhere specific to park up but with a little exploring you can find places. There may be holiday accommodation in the village.

Hope has a railway station and bus services. There's no actual car park at the hall; park around the village.

Cost

The cost is: £10 to sleep in the hall, plus £10 for the event. If anyone is just popping in for a while we'd be grateful of a donation. Please bring cash! We hope that this will cover the cost of hiring the hall, but this always depends on numbers so do bring along any friends who might be interested. Freaks in the Peaks is open to everyone — and a lot of fun, of course 😀

Notes

  • Tea/coffee and biscuits are provided
  • If you have anything that could mark our special occasion, such as bunting, cake, photos of past events, twinkly lights — or other ideas — please do bring along.
  • The hall lacks cooking utensils and bowls.
  • Dance and music notation are available from here (dances) or here (tunes) – feel free to suggest others. Please download these if you want them, though some paper copies might be available on the day.
  • If you have any good pictures, please send them to Freaks@freaksinthepeaks.com for the photo gallery.
  • If you're ‘indoor camping’ in the hall, bring a sleeping bag, camping mat or air bed etc. for under it, pillow, and whatever you need for comfort. Bring your own breakfast or prospect in the village.
  • Unless it's very dry, bring footwear suitable for a muddy walk and waterproof jacket.
  • See the contacts link. if you need to contact us in general before before the event.
  • If you have them, please bring rag jackets or similar, bells, decorative hat, sticks/hankies!
  • If you find yourself needing our constitution, it's here
  • Lastly, a reminder that everyone is welcome – especially beginners and musicians

Following Event:

Freaks on the Flat, 20th–22nd November 2026: We're having one of our occasional migrations North to Scorton, a lovely North Yorkshire (not Scorton Lancashire!) village, to take advantage of the offer to host it at the Ragged Robin practice venue. Apologies to those in the South, but we hope you can travel.

There's everything for our usual format: Village Hall indoor camping with a well-equipped kitchen, nearby campsite, Air B&Bs or a Premier Inn, Village Pub (the Farmer’s Arms) and a walk to a pub on the Sunday. Address: Scorton Village Hall DL10 6DN, near Richmond, just off the A1.

Inspired?

If you have been a few times and like Freaks then possibly you are feeling inspired to organise a Freaks, maybe somewhere near you, or simply somewhere Freaks has never been before, see our Tips for organisers (32Kb Word doc) or PDF version.