Newsletters

September 2012

Newsletter No 196 - 25 September 2012

Wind and water permitting a nice group assembled to celebrate the start of our new season which coincided with Derrick's birthday so it was party time and everyone was in the mood initially set up by Don & Heather who opened with a visit to sunny Spain to meet The Conquistadores who certainly knew how to party over in South America. Trevor then made us think with his Gold Watch Blues before Paul went off to Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms and Merdy put it down to The Life Of A Man. Arthur Marshall attributed it all to the second coming of Noah with no animals on board only rich people. When they all died they certainly didn't have all the Things That Matter which Kamran sang about and Anne C summed it up another way with False, False Have You Been as did Colin with Denver's I Think I'd Rather Be A Cowboy. Ged's solution was to sing I Will Fly Away and certainly Guitar Brian agreed with When Your Body's Had Enough Of Me and Pete, after Dyson With Death decided on Whole Life Through. Robin and Isobel then broke the mold in several ways with Plaisir D'Amour with treble recorder and some nice finger picking while Ed was still Just Learning To Play The Guitar and John Condy was taking to recitation with George Carlin's A Modern Man. This prompted David to rise up with his Shifting Whispering Sands about the depleted uranium found after the Iraqi war but Charles insisted we go Dancing At Whitsun. Paul then started us off again with The Reverend Mr Black, Don & Heather led us all in the great chorus of Sonny, Peter had The Going Home Blues, Anne C Claimed I Must Love Him Still and John Condy took us to party time with Pharaoh.

August 2012

Newsletter No 192 - 28 August 2012

There was a fine spread of talent at Sale tonight despite some notable absences, probably due to the aftermath of the Bank Holiday and various festivals, however Mark and Jan hosted an evening which produced an eclectic mix of songs opening with Allan Taylor's It's Good to See You. Then Paul Riley lamented incarceration with the Folsom Prison Blues before Carl then had a Change of Heart and Ged told us what life was like on The Old Trapeze. Next up there was a warm welcome for two visitors from across the Pennines, Huddersfield to be relatively precise! Robert Fowler with a fine rendition of the German Clock Winder and Phil Sykes, accompanying himself with an electronic piano with the lovely song, Stan Roger's Mary Ellen Carter were well received. Karina then sang Sailor's Life and Trevor followed with The Rivers Run Free before newcomer Tony sang St Patrick's Battalion about a unit of Irish immigrants who defected from the US army and fought as part of the Mexican Army against the United States in the Mexican-American war of 1846 to 1848. Jo, with an old favourite Both Sides of the Tweed then sang a Scottish song while Merdy, a Scot, came up with I've Got Leather on My Shoes and Jim and Lynne sang happily about the Leaving of Liverpool. Robin then turned to one of his favourites by Chris de Burgh, Snows of New York before Pete was completely right with War Drags On as was Colin Rudd with his poignant song Illness Isolation before Zoe Mulford sang a new song she'd learned by William Joliffe, Laughlin Boy, and Eric sang Jacques Brel's Port of Amsterdam. More fairly newcomers Bridie and Ian concluded the first round with Rita McNeill's Working Man and Mark, alluding to the recent death of Neil Armstrong, took us up to the interval with Donovan's 1972 take on the space race The Intergalactic Laxative.

July 2012

Newsletter No 188 - 31 July 2012

Well, we had to send for extra chairs as Banjo John summed it all up with I'm Flying High and Robin added, gee but It's Good To Be Back Home Again. Then in the words of one of Carl's fine songs, it must be When Fate And Circumstance Collide but at least nobody was missing the point as they did in Don & Heather's song Knee Deep In A River. Trevor then took us back to Northern Ireland for The Town I Loved So Well, Derry/Londonderry, but Kath & Stan were off Wayfaring Strangers and Paul had the How Long Blues. Next we were able to extend a welcome to newcomer Dave Slater who sang his own song Little Mill Girl which paved the way for the surprise visit of Nelson Peach who delighted us with the Copper Kettle and Jack Frighten 'em from their latest CD before another newcomer Gary also sang us his own song about his Grandad, Tommy. Yet another surprise visitor, George Pilch, took to the floor with his own composition My Friend Rossendale which he confessed gave him great pleasure because he had written a duplicate set of words about the Borders in Scotland and had got two for the price of one proving him to be a true Scot! Next up Eddie wrapped his fingers skilfully around the instrumental Planxty George Brabazon before Poet Dave, with his own poem, warned of the dangers of opening The Box (called War) leaving Ged to comment the Moon Goes Down. Guitar Brian then unfurled more fistfuls of chords in accompanying Every Time I Say Goodbye while a cappella Jo was that Sally Free And Easy and with a chorus of thousands, mostly her grandchildren, Joan pleaded Love Me Tender.

June 2012

Newsletter No 183 - 26 June 2012

It was a full house this week and we had 41 performances in all with hosts Pepper Street starting the ball rolling with Mick's song about John Dillinger, Shooting Bankers, quickly followed by Banjo John who introduced us to Delia and Joan, one of our regular audience, who did her first ever performance with Whiskey In The Jar. She was clearly nervous but battled on gamely and will soon become a stalwart. Then Carl with Penny Lane offered a slightly belated celebration of Paul McCartney's 70th birthday before welcome back alive Mike Dixon joined us again with The White Cockade as did Richard Sails with old favourite None Of My Own. Paul Riley then introduced us to My Babe and Jo returned to her Ramblin Boy and Guitar Dave did the same with Runaround Sue. It all left Rod with Suspicion and Jean Finney, playing her new Q Chord (electronic autoharp all very angelic sounding) with her own comment, Life Is A Game, but any way up Robin reckoned Hey It's Good To Be Back Home. Kamran was next dealing with those Stole River Blues and Colin coping with A Rainy Day while Janice was off with Pepper Street looking for her Nowhere Man. Rob was then off on the Good Ship Calabar leaving Richard Knott to sing The Cape and Kath, Stan & Ruth sunning themselves on the Banks Of The Ohio. Guitar Brian next turned his big chords to a medley of Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered coupled with It's Magic which gave Ged the Big Leg Blues and Keith (aka Elvis) the urge to do one of his own poems entitled Why Oh Why all about sex. If he doesn't know by now!

May 2012

Newsletter No 179 - 29 May 2012

It was hot outside and it was hot inside as Don & Heather kicked off by taking everyone down to the Red Rose Cafe where Banjo John invited us to Have A Drink On Me before Pete told us his own story of The Greenland Whale. Colin Rudd then treated us to his latest song and contrasting views of David Beckham but unaffected Brian went on to sing I'm Sorry accompanied in his customary style with fistfuls of 5 and 6 string guitar chords. Then it was the return in full of the Family Taylor with daughter Kathy's flute joining Mark for Blackthorn Stick and Donnybrook Fair and then sticking around to sing seven days are in the week in Almost Every Circumstance with Jan. Guitar Dave next sat us down and said I'm going to tell you The Story Of My Life but Ged retorted What You Gonna Do When Death Comes Creepin' In Your Room or when you are Down Where The Drunkards Roll asked John Condy. In the soup reckoned Rob just like the Ellen Vannin. Dave from the corner, however, was off Trotting To The Fair while Carl was away with Mr Dreamseller but Merdy preferred the more natural Wild Mountain Thyme and newcomers Dave & Les were next Looking For The Heart Of Saturday Night but Ed had to confess, I Got Stoned And I Missed It. To bring us up to the interval Banjo John related the story of Joshua who shunned his girlfriend and married her young stepmother, Pete explained why he was so happy with I Shall Be Released but Rob put the tin hat on it with his own Victor The Elephant whose problem with flatulence had us all running for the exit.

April 2012

Newsletter No 175 - 24 April 2012

Ed & Sue asked Don & Heather to start off the evening and they took the opportunity to celebrate the Mass Trespass with Manchester Rambler before anyone else did and it obviously struck a chord with many in the audience before Banjo John echoed the sentiment with Didn't He Ramble. Paul also had us singing with The Train That Never Returned which nicely set up The Chorlton Cloghoppers who danced in two teams first to the Dancing Waltz and then to The Welsh. Next Arthur Marshall claimed only one other person appreciated his Ballad Of The Man From Milton Keynes but there was a room full last night and Pete Roberts' Sunsets was also an upbeat song as was Rambling Boy from Jo which had the whole audience singing along. We were then grateful that Carl had been requested to go Singing The Ages Down which prompted Kamran to comment You Shook Me All Night courtesy of AC/DC but Brian preferred The Sound Of Silence. Next newcomer Chris blew us away with a great song from the west coast of Ireland, The Bold Thady Quill, before Stella responded by leading us all in Cohen's Halleluja followed by Trevor and Ruth with Rare Owd Times and Ged with Jesus On The Mainline. Mark & Jan celebrated America's intolerance to progress with Jez Lowe's song of their attitude to Charles Darwin, We'll Hunt Him Down, and David the poet explained it From A Mis-stance. Harry, the Cloggers Accordionist then gave us a medley of tunes as a prelude to John's The Day They Drove Old Dixie Down and Rod's Dock Of The Bay leaving Dave & Andy to take us to the interval with My Laggan Love.

Subcategories

Newsletters 2020

Newsletters 2019

Newsletters 2018

Newsletters 2017

Newsletters 2016

Newsletters 2015

Newsletters 2014

Newsletters 2013

Newsletters 2012

Newsletters 2011

Newsletters 2010

Newsletters 2009

Newsletters 2008

Page 16 of 23

Start
Prev
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Next
End