Newsletter No 212 - 29 January 2013
They came from near, they came from far, they filled up every pew as Keith Marsden wrote and JAN & MARK managed a massive 30 performers with aplomb after they had kicked off with a new song I TAKE MY CHANCES (Mary Chapin Carpenter) quickly followed by ED who was in great voice with THE GRESFORD DISASTER and KATH, STAN & RUTH who gave us great interpretation of MOON SHADOW. Then EDDIE played THE VICTORY from the film Pride and Prejudice so no wonder MERDY remembered WHEN THOSE SHOES WERE NEW but CONTRABAND were off earning wages on THE ERIE CANAL to which KAMRAN retorted BRING ME SOME MONEY TOO. Appropriately STELLA then told us IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU as BRIAN said FIND ME and COLIN pleaded DO NOT FORSAKE ME. JO took on a new lease of life with SCARBOROUGH FAIR and TONY was equally joyous with OH SUSANNAH leaving ANDY, DAVE & PETER to lament the STARS ALL FELL DOWN. Guitar BRIAN then sang BRING HIM HOME from Les Mis but newcomer MARTIN was busy DOWN IN DIXIE and JIM & LYNN were after the SPANISH LADY. JEAN FINNEY's monologue then explained the danger in THE GIFT OF SHOES and RICHARD KNOTT's new song SCARECROW BLUES was a belter before we welcomed long time no see GED GASKELL who Melodeon-ed with the MOLE IN THE WOOD & FOX & GEESE. After a raft of lively songs and tunes ARTHUR suddenly went all romantic with his I SAVED THE LAST DANCE FOR YOU and GED was also emotional with ANGELS LAID HIM AWAY so a couple of tunes from ISOBEL in BLACK BUSH WALTZ & MIDNIGHT ON THE WATER led us nicely to JOHN who had BOATS TO BUILD during the interval.
Much socialising and a big raffle saw Merdy take the wine, Andrea the Ross chocolates that she handed round, Joan the biscuits, Alan the fudge and Heather walked away with the Bird feeder before we started the second half with JIM & LYNN telling everyone I'LL TELL MY MA. GED then gave us a soulful BARBARA ALLEN followed by EDDIE with MR BEVERAGE'S MAGGOT before COLIN went all socio-political and told us I DON'T GIVE A TOSS ABOUT YOU. This almost had STELLA & BRIAN LEAVING ON A JET PLANE and RUTH, KATH & STAN telling us that it was much worse in 1851 according to the CENSUS. Again MARTIN unsheathed his Pink Ukulele for A SONG FOR FREE followed by RICHARD KNOTT with another of his songs, THE SHORTEST DAY, before ANDY, DAVE & PETER unleashed a McColl special, THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE, JOHN replied with Richard Thompson's BEESWING and GED GASKELL took us off to HIGH GERMANY before TONY had us in the USA for the OHIO WALTZ & STEPHEN. JEAN, however, was SAVING UP MY MEMORIES and KAMRAN had a dose of the HESITATION BLUES before ARTHUR reckoned there AIN'T NO PROFIT IN THAT to lift us close to the climax of the evening. This was provided by CONTRABAND who had us all singing our heads off with THE MINGULAY BOAT SONG and JAN & MARK closed with us all RUNNING LIKE A TURKEY through the corn.
Newsletter No 211 - 22 January 2013
A bit of a general slowdown with the weather reduced us to only 36 but had no effect on the enthusiasm for the performance and the enjoyment of the audience as PETE started with his interpretation of MAY YOU NEVER. Keeping the ball rolling DON & HEATHER wet rural with SONNY and still from the Emerald Isle TREVOR reckoned ONLY THE RIVERS RUN FREE before BANJO JOHN crossed the Atlantic for THE TENNESSEE WALTZ. Coming quickly back MERDY then took us to the CONNEMARA COAST to which TONY replied OVER MY DEAD BODY and JO related the story of a German POW in England with HELLO HANS. Next CARL was THE SODA MAN and then newcomer FRANK told us in a poem that NOT UNTIL MUCH LATER that he started to realise the terrible effects of war which will hopefully begin to dawn on Prince Harry as soon as possible. Then KAMRAN recounted how he gave up the guitar for five years before picking it up again to sing THREE LITTLE FISHES to his son leaving EDDIE to give us a little medley of SCOTTISH TUNES in anticipation of Burns' Night but ED was unemotional as he had NO TIME TO CRY. It had been a long time no see for PETER who sang us an unusual love song COFFEE AND CHEESECAKE to which ROD answered I'M A BELIEVER too but COLIN reckoned it's not all it seems to be with THE BALLAD OF CURSED ANNA. Anyway up JIM & LYNN were calling out BYE BYE LOVE as PAUL was SINGING MY BLUES AWAY and BRIAN insisted on singing SOMETHING STUPID.
In celebration of HEATHER'S birthday a Chip Buffet was produced as a good raffle saw some great prizes taken and MERDY passing his winning chocolates round at the end.
Kicking off again EDDIE next produced an IRISH POLKA MEDLEY as MERDY proclaimed I'VE GOT LEATHER ON MY SHOES and PETER confessed HER FATHER DIDN'T LIKE ME ANYWAY. Then we had a gem from the pen of Jake Thackray when CARL treated us to the sad but true tale of THE HAIR OF THE WIDOW OF BRIDLINGTON and very aptly ROD came up with I SHALL BE RELEASED and TREVOR also empathised in his way with LEAVING NANCY. Getting into the swing of things FRANK next got up to sing STARDUST, PETE gave us BLUES RUN THE GAME and ROD, shock horror, sang a folk song BLOWING IN THE WIND prompting COLIN o stay with Dylan for DON'T THINK TWICE IT'S ALRIGHT. Still in the same frame of mind KAMRAN told us THE GREEN GRASS GROWS ALL AROUND and in sympathy ED recounted the story of THE HERMIT but PAUL was all serious with NOBODY KNOWS YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND OUT. That's what happens when SMOKE GETS IN YOR EYES reckoned BRIAN and you'll be PAST THE POINT OF RESCUE AS WELL said DON & HEATHER even if you are THE URBAN SPACEMAN that JIM & LYNN piped up with next. FRANK, on his first visit, then told us an AMUSING STORY ABOUT DATING, BRIAN insisted he was ONLY SIXTEEN and CARL kindly proposed A HEALTH TO THE COMPANY before PAUL pleaded TICKLE MY HEART. This sent PETER off saying I'LL TELL MY MA and MERDY telling us about IN MY TIME before ROD jazzed us up with JOLENE. This left DON & HEATHER to suggest we should STEAL AWAY before sending us dancing into the street on a high note with a GALWAY GIRL.
Newsletter No 210 - 15 January 2013
A cold and frosty evening did nothing to dampen the spirits as another full house warmed itself on the great atmosphere in Sale Folk Club tonight. MICK HARE & HEATHER SIDDALL kick started the proceedings with his ORSON STREET GIRLS before EDDIE went all matrimonial with JESU, JOY OF MAN'S DESIRE and MERDY was even more traditional with JOCK O' HAZELDEAN. JIM & LYNN were next off to the CITY OF CHICAGO while PAUL told us to TELL OLD BILL and DAVID the poet waxed lyrical about this WONDERFUL LAND. Next PETE surprised us with his own celebration of life DAYS GONE BY but ARTHUR was more ironic with his summary of health care, AIN'T NO PROFIT IN THAT, whereas DON & HEATHER went to John Prine's honest assesment of a relationship with THE SPEED OF THE SOUND OF LONLINESS. For those who remembered him, ANN C then paid a wonderful tribute to TREVOR MORTON with one of his favourite poems, SARAH. KAMRAN then advised SO RELAX before ED himself reminded us of the debt we owe THE FLUSHERS and CARL revisited the last disastrous miner's strike with the BALLAD OF JOHN COLLIER. The irony was not lost on ROBIN who responded with one of John Denver's best songs, YOU SAY THE BATTLE IS OVER, and GAVIN commented that people don't always mean what they say with YOU KNOW THAT WAS THE LAST THING ON MY MIND all of which totally scrambled RICHARD GRAY'S brain as he explored 12 songs before confessing he couldn't even remember one in totality but it was a great journey. ISOBEL then jumped up with HARVEST HOME & THE IRISH WASHERWOMAN before a A BIT OF BANDERSNATCH took us up to the interval with IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR LOVE and YE JACOBITES.
Much socialising and a great raffle later MICK again pitched up with YOU'VE GOT YOUR TROUBLES and CARL took it even FURTHER, by Pete Morton, before GAVIN headed for FIDDLER'S GREEN. It's like SMOKE THROUGH AUTUMN TREES reckoned KAMRAN whereas ANN C reckoned it was more like ON TAKING THE DOG TO THE CINEMA all of which made RICHARD GRAY cry out WHO KILLED DAVY MOORE. ROBIN'S retort was COME BACK PADDY REILLY as PETE slithered off to WOODSTOCK and PAUL decided to STEP IT UP AND GO. Then in all seriousness EDDIE sang about MICKEY MOUSE'S SON & DAUGHTER as did ARTHUR with his own LOVE IN ANY LANGUAGE and JIM & LYNN with THE NGHT VISITING SONG. ED then had a terrible cold with the BRONCHIO-DILATED BLUES as ISOBEL went off to SYDNEY SMITH'S and MERDY remembered the PLANE CRASH AT LOS GATOS with The Deportees on board. DON & HEATHER suddenly found themselves KNEE DEEP IN A RIVER and dying of thirst, metaphorically speaking, as they led us to a climax with A BIT OF BANDERSNATCH closing with TURNING AWAY, THE WEIGHT and AIN'T NO GRAVE GONNA HOLD MY BODY DOWN to crown a cracking great evening,
Newsletter No 209 - 8 January 2013
A great night for MARTIN'S 60th BIRTHDAY was led by RUTH, KATH & STAN with their customary alacrity starting with their new song THE WEAVER'S DAUGHTER. O'CAROLAN'S DRAUGHT was then what EDDIE delivered before DON & HEATHER took us off to Australia to reclaim the DIAMANTINA DROVER and MERDY told us the story of the sinking of the BELLE OF THE BAY when the two equal owners of the boat fell out. JIM & LYNN next warned of PADDY McGINTY'S GOAT before MIKE played and sang a flawless version of ADIEU SWEET LOVELY NANCY and JO again extend her repertoire with THE PHOENIX from the singing of the long gone Pennine Folk Group. CARL then reminisced with his own KNIGHTS ROUND THE TABLE as our one-man band PAUL gave us Robert Johnson's WALKING BLUES with guitar, harmonica and cajon before it took five of us, ROBIN, JOHN, LYNN, HEATHER & DON, to band up for a very creditable ME AND BOBBY McGEE. Back in festive mood PETE treated us to a NEW YEAR'S SONG which sent COLIN off to SAIL ON SEVEN OCEANS and JOHN CONDY away chasing UNICORNS. On the other hand ARTHUR was much more seriously predicting the end of the world with his second coming of NOAH where access to the arc was on a financial basis so no animals and hence the end of human life when they all starved after reaching land which KAMRAN reckoned that it would be a bit like WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS. Next, in a tribute to MARTIN on his birthday and as a thank you for the buffet and chips he was providing, ROB sang MARTIN SAID TO HIS MAN followed by ROD with Knopler's ROMEO AND JULIET and MARK who brought us to the interval with O'CAROLAN'S DOCTOR'S CHOICE.
A rousing "Happy Birthday" and much social interaction later including another bumper raffle CHARLES started the second half with ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE followed by BERNICE with the SPEED OF THE SOUND OF LONLINESS with JOHN CONDY which left LORRAINE feeling like a MOTHERLESS CHILD. ERIC'S response was that the HEART HAS ITS REASON as KATH, STAN & RUTH led us singing DIRTY OLD TOWN and MARK was off chasing that LITTLE RED ROOSTER. It will be all sorted on JUDGEMENT DAY prophesied KAMRAN and PETE had similar sentiments with you're a BIG GIRL NOW but without a care ISOBEL was away with 100 PIPERS. On a serious note COLIN sang his CHILD'S SONG about kids leaving home and MIKE had another sad tale with RUE as did ARTHUR with his very poignant EVERYWHERE I LOOK. Equally wistful was JIM & LYNN'S song WHEN YOU AND I WERE YOUNG. MAGGIE and for that matter was SAM HALL from the melodeon and voice of EDDIE but PAUL had only RAMBLING ON MY MIND. It's the WILL OF THE PEOPLE we need reckoned JOHN but MERDY was still chasing after THE PRETTIEST GIRL IN TRURO and ROD was even more brazen with IF I SAID YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL BODY would you hold it against me. Coming to the boil nicely ROBIN tested his New Year Resolution to play more guitar with a resounding ROSE OF ALLENDALE which set up BERNICE with WINDY HARBOUR and LORRAINE to bring us to a climax by throwing her BLANKET ON THE GROUND.
