Sale Folk Club

Newsletter No 66 - 26 January 2010

We were reminded us of the old saying, "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue!" Richard Sail returned from his thespian success at The Garrick to sing us the old traditional Bold Princess Royal and Yarmouth Town which we all joined in lustily. Dave Pugh, after a long time away, played us a new tune South Devon Atmospheric and Jean Finney treated us to something new in her own Saving Up My Memories about her Mum but later confessed to I'm Confused. Aren't we all? The rest of us simply borrowed from from all those wonderfully talented people whose music and words continue to delight us. Sometimes we were a little blue as with Pepper Street's Killing The Blues but the rest of the time we explored the whole range of the human condition. Nothing serious then!

Pepper Street explored the plight of migrants in Across The Borderline as did Don & Heather with their South Australia and Ged with Neil Young's Helpless. Others yearned for places from their past like Merdy's Connemara Coast and Frank's Mansion On The Hill. Of course love came into the picture with Don & Heather's Sweet Thames Flow Softly, Bogles's Golden City by Carl, Kittie and Down The Moor from Weymouth Dick, Bob's Black Velvet Band and Wild Mountain Thyme, Merdy's Bonnie Glenshee, Carl's Greek Lightening and Ged's Ringtailed Tom was in great demand.

Fortunately, this serious examination of navels was interspersed with enough humour to divert the suicidal tendencies of the assembled throng. Derrick amused us with some Signs Of The Times and then asked us Did You Ever Wonder and David contemplated the Deck Of Cards and Billy Bent's Demise, he died of a Van Aerial Disease. Mark sang about Sam The Skull aka the Glasgow Cat, definitely not his daughter Kathy who is now living in that city, and Ed gave us that great Burn's Night send up The Hunter Of Dunoon, about the wild Haggis, and Stanley Holloway's Sam. Isobel also gave us some more classy light relief with Horses Bransle, La Morisque and Michael Turner's Waltz.

Never too far from the serious, Dougie McClean's Fiery Cross from Jan reminded us how nations are anti foreigners before she joined forces with Mark to take it to civil war with Ye Jacobites. Carl made it a class war with his Never Been Nearer To Nettles and Ruth as did David with his From A Mis-stance and Kath & Stan didn't want to be Hedgers and Ditchers. Ged reminded us that the woman on the Trapeze may be flying now but will eventually come down and Ruth, Kath & Stan gave their minds to To Althea From Prison sung to Dave Swarbrick's tune.

Luckily Dave Pugh came back to have us all singing with When The Boat Comes In, Ruth, Kath & Stan said Follow Me Home and Richard pushed us through the door with Jones' Ale, complete with 15 part harmony from the rabble. Never better!

Newsletter No 65 - 19 January 2010

The absence of snow and the promise of a warm welcome brought the obvious response with a massive turn out decorated by a handful of new faces eager to see what we are all about and they were not disappointed. A rousing rendition of Champion Jack Dupree's Old Woman Blues by Cockney Eric dynamically supported by John & Don's piano playing go us of to a fantastic start from which we never looked back. Merdy was then welcomed back with Leaves Of The Green as were Ruth, Kath & Stan with Sleepy Desert and Dave with If I needed You. Bob told the military tale of The Lock Of Hair before Albert unveiled a brand new song with title undecided so far but it will be worth it. It seemed to be that time because then Robin wheeled out his thoughts from Kraft's buyout of Cadbury's with his own song just written about the coming demise of Bournville, a real folk song to be kept in the repertoire. Next Isobel continued her sparkling run with Dusty Miller & Willer Fjord followed by Adam's Partisan, Carl's Snowbound and Ged's Lost John. Derrick's Collection of Oneliners soon cheered us up and Don & Heather sang it is best to be a Beggar as a pramble to newcomer accordionist Ann's Bel Viso, an Italian Polka by Pietro Frosini, and newcomer Les' Silver Coin. They were so good that Banjo John summoned up the almighty with Precious Lord Take My Hand and Ed confused us with His Worship and The Pig's Home's Where The Heart Is. Pepper Street with John's Black Muddy River and Mick's Meet Me Tonight were next climaxing towards the interval with another newcome Jean Finney's own Barmaid Song and then Frank's Black Is The Colour taking us to the bar.

Another harpoon (mouth organ) went in the raffle wth Merdy forgetting his Dylan Songbook and Robin his wine. Some men shouldn't be let out without a woman!

The latecomers then took the second half by storm starting with Richard Gray's own For Our Love followed by newcomer Gail's beautiful Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charm by Thomas Moore then newcomer George's Mighty Terror Song, Policewoman and finally Jim's Silly Slang Song. Then we were back in gear with Eric's Carruthers, Merdy's Then She Touched You and No Telling What A Love Song Can Do from Ruth, Kath & Stan. Bob made us sing When he Wind Blows before Dave gave us Gordon Lightfoot's If You Could Read My Mind. Albert's own I Sing My Song led to Robin saying I'll sing Springsteen's The River before Isobel gave us Denrig Ship then one of her famous choruses in Lady In The Boat. Van Morrison's Moondance from Adam and Old Bones from Carl then led us like lambs to the slaughter to Ged's wristslitting Easy, a sad song. Derrick again cheered us with Albert and Victoria as did Ann with the waltz Beautiful Days and Ed with Facebook Song. Pepper Street screamed tell me the truth with A Good Noise and Jean sang her second and own song One Day Daddy which Marie Little sings. Praise indeed. Frank's Cliff Of Duneen finlly led to a swift climax with saw Richard blasting us off homewards with Packing My Bags In Misery. Very suitable folkies who mustn't be too happy.

Newsletter No 64 - 12 January 2010

Well! The stir crazy folkies finally made a break for freedom by filling the room just after Ed & Sue had started a rollicking evening with Donovan's Ballad of a Crystal Man. A wrist-slitter folowed in the form of Ged's Cruel Brother but Zoe said Let's Talk to no avail because Richard Sails was The Bold Dragoon and Pepper Street (John) had Boats To Build. Isobel kept the pot boiling with Sonny Brogan's Mazurka and Phroinsias Ui Mhaenaigh's Mazurka, two lovely pieces beautifully played but Brian was still Leaving On A Jet PLane. In this weather Scotland was far enough for Don & Heather with their Rolling Hills of The Borders before Robin gave his Last Farewell and Dave retorted So You're Leaving Me Today. Next Jan fell for The Blacksmith and Mark went for those New York Girls before Rob continued his alphabet soup with Fred The Slug. By this time John had the Deep River Blues which was not surprising For Those Over Thirty Dave the poet old us. Carl said Hello Hans, talking to the gravestone in the Midlands after the end of WW2 but Stella, in the absence of Derrick, had had enough and told us of Les Barker's Folk Club Disaster which chastened a few before Bob had us all A-Roving in good old fashioned style. Finally the Bailey Sisters gave us When The Snows Of Winter Fall and Rick Kemp's Somewhere Along The Road before Pepper Street's (Mick) Broad Majestic Shannon took us to the raffle and rehydration break.

Still in good form Ed's Bobby Bare song The Winner had us chuckling and tapping our feet as we springboarded into the second half with the story of The John B Stetson Hat from Ged closely folowed by Richard who was The Saint. David tickled us with Steve Morris' Please Don't Call Me Grandad but then Zoe mesmerised us with Open Water her own view of the North West Passage. Stella then continued her rise to stardom with Les Barker's My Phone's Out Of Order before yeilding to Mark & Jan's Collier Laddy. Isobel again returned in top form with Danny Beck and Rope Waltz, class will out, before Jim Clarke again returned to delight us with Bogle's Nobody's Moggie Now and he is promising more. We disagreed when Eric sang Guess I'm A Fool, a Memphis Slim classic, and we said come inside to Brian who was out in The Early Morning Rain before John rhetorically asked If I Needed You. Robin, Don & Heather then had bread, fishes and a jug of red wine with Wind In The Willows and Carl said that will get me From The Amoury To The Crown before the club achieved another personal best with a 15 part harmony version of Cockles and Muscles led by Bob. We raised the roof! Hardly rising to a climax, Rob told us of his latest interbint sagas before singing The Grey Funnel Line but fortunately The Bailey Sisters started to lift us with The Castleton Canal followed by Don & Heather to South Australia and Pepper Street finally Washing Their Hands In Muddy Water.

Newsletter No 63 - 5 January 2010

The intrepids braved the snows to make this an evening to remember even starting the evening spot on 8.00pm as usual with 10 performers and 6 listeners making a great balance for lots of repartee. Don & Heather had the unusual honour of starting off with the request of Dances For Dollars swiftly followed by Leadbelly's In The Pines from Adam who was on a blues kick so over the evening gave us a Howling Wolf song, Out On The Weekend by Neil Young, Folsom Prison Blues and Prodigal Son by Reverend Williams. Then Alabama came from Rob who said he was determined not to repeat himself this year and was using the alphabet system so later came Bulgine Run, Courting Too Slow, Dieu Sweet Lovely Nancy, A, and Ee, The Process Man. Should be a piece of cake with his grip of spelling! Jan & Mark came in early doors and treated us to Jan's January Man and The Raven and The Hare, The 30 foot Trailer, Like a Fiery Cross, Little Pot Stove, Albatross and, on the way to the evening's climax, a Songus Interruptus from Mark. Carl started with an old Jez Lowe song Alice, who will never do moonbeams no more, another was The Boys Of Belly Row, then Bogle's The Golden City and McTell's From Clare To Here. Richard Sails spared us time from his thespian rehearsals to treat us to The Mower, Moses in The Bulrushes, Knight William and The Shepherd's Daughter and The Widow of Westmorland's Daughter with pleny of occasions for joining in. Don & Heather again chipped in with Four Strong Winds then urging everyone to Let Your Banjo Ring.

Last but certainly not least, Kathy Taylor joined by boyfriend Andy who had just arrived from Glasgow to be with us, blew our minds with Whisky Lullaby, Fleetood Mac's Chains, Flower's of Edinburgh and Staton Island on the flute, Billy Connoly's If It Was'na For Your Wellies, Thick As A Brick and finally bringing the evening to an orgasmic climax with I Feel Like Making Love To You. Actually he came all that way to celebrate Kathy's 21st. Happy Birthday Kathy!!!!!!!