The Bunting Fund

by Sarah Allen

The Bunting Fund was written in honour of the fantastic annual Street Party that has taken place in my street since 1976. The street is festooned with homemade bunting – made from the residents’ cast offs; old bedsheets, tablecloths, curtains, clothes. With a little bit of everyone fluttering overhead, we ceilidh dance up and down the street.

Sarah is best known as a founder member of award-winning flute-based Anglo-Irish quartet, Flook, who will be celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2025. Though originally classically trained, Sarah’s first outings as a professional musician saw her playing alongside legendary free jazz drummer, John Stevens, whose approach to music challenged everything she had previously learned. Onwards from there, she joined ramshackle political big band, The Happy End, and the much loved The Barely Works. Sarah has also played with The Waterboys, Oysterband, Show of Hands, Phil Cunningham and many others.