Newsletter No 116 - 25 January 2011
Some new and some regular faces were fighting for seats tonight and after appropriately Don & Heather summed it up with I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way. Early bird Banjo John then introduced us to Joshua while Ruth, Kat & Stan were Hedgers and Ditchers and Pepper Street we down in Make And Break Harbour. Claire next waxed lyrical over The Bramble And The Rose while Mike saluted The White Cockade and Rob saluted his passenger tonight with Martin Said To His Man. The first reminder of Burns Night then came from Lowland Scot Robin with Banks And Braes followed by Accordion John with Amazing Grace. Ann C was next telling us We Hadn't Sailed Far which was surprising because Ged was Working On The Railway. Ed then went a bit surreal with Bob Dylan's Dreams which nothing compared to The Bailey Sisters' Tidy The Cow but all returned to normal when young Nic played Stranger On The Shore on his clarinet. Carl next produced one of his best efforts, The Old England In You, closely followed by Belle and Sebastian's A Century Of Fakers from Wendy and Collier Laddie from Jan & Mark. We finally tried to tempt Brian out of the Whispering Grass before the interval but even Blackthorn Stick and Kesh Jig from Isobel, Lucille from Banjo John and Bridge Street from Pepper Street were to no avail.
After the usual Grand Raffle the second half began with a rousing version Macpherson's Lament, written in prison by Macpherson himself on the eve of his hanging for cattle rustling, by Robin, Don & Heather and Claire with her Bodhran eagerly followed by The Bailey Sisters with Someone Waits For Me and Carl who always gets away with Greek Lightening. False, False claimed Ann C which was certainly true of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard while Brian was the Great Pretender. Claire then crept in with the poignant Danny Boy, Wendy urged, Put The Book Back On The Shelf, and Ruth, Kath & Stan claimed This Land Is Your Land. Tell that to the Duke of Westminster! Accordion John reminisced about days Under The Bridges Of Bury, Rob reminisced about The Old Pubs and Ged waxed lyrical about his Vincent Black Lightening. Ed reckoned none us could do without the Flushers and Alan, who was one, agreed whole heartedly before Jan & Mark sang Ah Me Boys. Thrusting towards a climax, a ruthless Kath & Stan pursued the Banjo Picking Girl, Mike told the Story Of Wing Chan Lu and The Baileys were in Sally Gardens. Brian mused Till There Was You but Ged didn't give a damn with Flip, Flop and Fly and Pepper Street were in the Black Muddy River before Ed told us about his Bantam Cock and Robin and his big band sang us out with Bobby McGee to end on a suitable note.
Newsletter No 115 - 18 January 2011
Again some new faces to swell the crowd to busting and after Don & Heather told us They May Not Have All The Answers, We wouldn't have it any other way, Pepper Street maintained the momentum with Diamantina Drover and Claire Moved Through The Fair before Ruth, Kath & Stan sang about Lazy John and debutant Chris Rogan introduced himself with his own song, Old Man. Jan next confessed her attachment to The Roving Ploughboy and Mark played Lord Inchiquin by Thurlough O'Carolan an 18th Century Harper before Banjo John said that's nothing, I'm in love with Sweet Lorraine, and we all thought of Rob. David then took us back to hopefully a bygone era with Londonderry, you're a real sad city, and Ed similarly reminisced about his childhood city of Salford with Tim Norfolk's Ivory Tower but Ged showed how you can't really go back in time with She's Gone, Gone Solid Gone. Undaunted, however, Derrick tried it and succeeded with Remember When and we all fell for it. A new departure for Robin was his a capella version of Killing Me Softly which was a great success, and then newcomers Emily & Ben Once had a Colour and thought it was a rose before Carl's Sister Josephine had us all in tucks. A note of seriousness came with Eric's Guia carried on by Zoe, albeit humorously, with her own American Wake before Pepper Street gave another push with Keep Your Distance and before his bedtime Banjo John slipped back on for Black Eyed Blues. Finally, in response to an e-mail request from Jenny, Don & Heather had us all singing up to the interval with Dances For Dollars.
A bumper raffle, boosted by an extra bottle of wine from Anne, had people hurrying back from the bar to start the second half with another from Chris' own pen, Banks Of The Clyde followed by Georgio from Claire, John Barleycorn by Emily & Ben and a rousing Lowlands Away from Richard which had us all rattling the windows. Brian then borrowed the club's 12-string guitar kept at home by Ed to sing If I Had My Way and he was swiftly followed by Karen with John Condy in support before Ed also sang another window rattler, Mi Husband's Got No Porridge In Him. Mark & Jan next sang The Blue Cockade and Robin did Sir Walter Scott's Jock O'Hazeldean before Ged was that Lone Pilgrim and Ruth, Kath & Stan told us to Let The Mystery Be. Still in the realms of fantasy Carl mused If Wishes Were Fishes and Eric imagined he was The Ancient Mariner and Zoe said if we thought about it Night Is A Woman was about breast feeding and we believed them all. With the lateness of the hour Chris was beginning to think Tomorrow Never Comes, Brian went back to Rose Marie and Richard was on the Bold Princess Royal. Next Karen said Tell It To The Birds and Ged claimed he got no home in this world with The Boomer's Song before Zoe reminded us of our own climate here with The January Man and Pepper Street were more optimistic by telling us that Franklyn should have waited for global warming before seeking the North West Passage. Tell that to the birds freezing in our garden.
Newsletter No 114 - 11 January 2011
Unlike Noah's Ark they came in one by one, two by two and three by three but at this rate the Ark would have sunk. In terms of sardines they were highly talented and comfortably packed. John Condy gave us a great start with The Mighty Quinn and, stimulated by the sight of Claire's lovely bodhran, Don & Heather sang Whisky In The Jar, Ged's favourite. Newcomer Mark Jordan then blew us all away with The Border Spirit and Roxburgh Castle on his Northumberland Pipes followed by Claire with A Butcher Boy, Ged with Joshua Gone Barbados and Carl whose Stuck In The Middle With You was a tribute to Gerry Rafferty. Once Upon A Time storied Ann C followed by Ed whose Doing The Manche was an even taller story by Keith Marsden as was Derrick's about The Genie. Next Richard Sails was in fine voice with The Young Ploughboy as was Colin Rudd with The Ballad Of Mary Magdalene by Richard Shindell, The Bailey Sisters with Amaryllis and Dave the poet with Dead Dog Scrumpy. Isobel came in a little later with two tunes, Sonny's Mazurka and Phroinsias O Mhaonaigh's Mazurka, quickly followed by Robin's version of Jean Finney's song Will Someone Remember Me After I've Gone to which Brian replied Only You. Come Write Ye Down then came from Rob, Adam sang Little Wing, Helen came next with her own I Wish I'd Looked After My Feet and Ruth, Kath & Stan took us to The Sleepy Desert. Latecomer Mark masquerading as Keep The Change Bob then told the sad tale of Geordie followed by Frank who was Loving Hannah, Gloria who was a delight with Crazy Man Michael and Richard Gray with his own tour de force The Lincolnshire Rover.
What a first half and a grand raffle brought no respite as we hurtled into round two with Mark Jordan's Northumberland Pipes taking us to Valencia Harbour followed by his own Boar's Head. Ged was next up with the Seven Curses, Carl with another Gerry Rafferty tribute, Night Owl, and Claire with Michael. Robin then reminded us Where Peaceful Waters Flow, Rob took us on The Mill Outing, Isobel played two more tunes Scallawa' Lassies and Hunting March and Derrick finally admitted how happy he was to be living with his wife Heather but she deserved a gallantry medal for putting up with him. Keep The Change Bob next claimed God's Got It. and just about that time we started to feel a climax was on the horizon. John Condy started us off well with his Galway Girl followed by Gloria accompanied beautifully by Frank as she mused As I Was A Wandering. Then Colin led the singing of I Got You Babe, Richard Gray did the same with Bridge Over Troubled Waters and finally Don & Heather insisted we all catch The City Of New Orleans from Illinois Central. Hope we are back in time for another terrific Tuesday Night next week.
Newsletter No 113 - 4 January 2011
New Year must have been a relief for many judging by another full house and some new and excellent performers. Pepper Street handled the crowds and the talent brilliantly starting with a great version of Diamantina Drover, a song made famous by Seamie O'Dowd and Don & Heather. Next Ed told us I'm Hanging On Here To The End, which was good to know, and David told us the tale of the Bloody Squirrels, which can be a nuisance especially when they charge 70 quid to remove one and then release it to find its way back into your garden. Clare then told us I Wish I Had Someone To Love Me, and an orderly queue formed immediately, Carl was Singing The Ages Down and Ruth, Kath & Stan asked us to Follow Me Home. Debutante Helen then told the story of If Only I'd Had My Glasses, familiar to many, and Brian responded with A Certain Smile before Richard Sails said what you need is The Mower. In retaliation Don & Heather next sang The Dimming Of The Day, made famous by our friend Julie and nicked by Pepper Street, followed by Isobel in great form with The Dusty Miller and Willafjord and Ged with Mule Skinner Blues. Next came Tom & Lucy, more debutants, with the Everly Brothers' Dream, Rob was back in Dear Old Liverpool Town and Dave celebrated his golfing successes with From A Mis-stance. Jan & Mark next told us of The Bonny Ship The Diamond before Barry took the floor for the first time to play Edelweiss on the harmonica, bravo!! Skipping into 2011 Pepper Street started round 2 with the seasonal Don't Let Me Into This Year With An Empty Heart, which Don & Heather are busy learning, followed by Benjamin Bowman from Richard and Safe In The Harbour from Carl. Tom & Lucy then sang Tom's own Final Ever Fling Of An Englishman to end the first half.
Another great raffle preluded Eric's High Diving and Ruth, Kath & Stan out with the Birds And Ships. Ed was then The Gambler and new-age Colin was saying How The Kid Turned Out That Was Born At Woodstock by John Sebastian and Clare just pleaded Believe. David recited the new Performing Rights Society rules for The Twelve Days Of Christmas and then Ged in a new departure put John Betjeman's Portrait Of A Deaf Man to music which was brilliant. I'll Tell My Ma came from Jan & Mark, Sally Gardens/Church Street/Bonny Kate came from Isobel (still in great form), Courting Too Slow from Rob and appropriately Who's Sorry Now from Brian. Reconciliation was offered by Don & Heather, Yes, Knows No Hiding Place came from Dave and taking us all by surprise Barry finally climbed to his feet and sang his first ever song at the club, Farewell To Carlingford, which was excellent. Well done Barry and more to come we hope. Rushing to a climax Pepper Street punked it up with The Eternal Caterpillar followed by Eric with It Takes A Lot To Love It Takes A Train To Cry and Colin with Both Sides Now. Kathy breathed life into her flute for Farewell To Whalley Range and Ruth, Kath & Stan were again In Love With A Brown Eye Boy while David was at The Celestial Golf Match and Don & Heather were backed by Pepper Street with A Song For A Life. Finally the climax did come with Tom & Lucy's Railroad Bill, You're Making Plans To Leave and If I Had A Hammer.
