Easter Bunny-- the myxamatosis threat

The initial alarm about the health of the Easter bunny has been exaggerated ! The swollen head and red eyes are the result of a long session in Wetherspoons with a couple of stoats and a visiting badger! The libations of "Trappers hat" had a marked effect on it and we hope recovery is complete before the egg delivery commences.

Sam sherry's waltz

I remember watching Sam at the Milnthorpe civic hall in '70. Went with the inimitable Ray Parsons and we then adjourned to the 'Bull for a few jars before going home to HH. Where I straightway commissioned Charlie Brown to make me a pair of clogs! Charlie was one of the last lakeland clogmakers , his was the last shop in Hawkeshead village, The Queens head still displays the "Hawkeshead Girt clog" which belonged to the local ratcatcher who had a bad foot. No good for dancing but great for stamping on rats??
I  recall that Sam also sang "I must go where the wild goose goes"

Set of jigs from one of my my Mexican friends

Another good afternoon session

The Belvedere session had ten yesterday, a nice mix of shanties and hunting songs and a couple of nice ballads , Good to hear and its a very rare occurrence that you hear the same song twice! The vast repertoire of the gathered congregation ensures that there are always new-- new numbers and new -- old numbers.
 A treasure trove of knowledge and talent combined with great humour and--oh yes ,  the usual slander and vituperative that makes it such a relaxed session . As Keith remarked , it gives all of us and excuse to hang around the pub in the afternoon—as if we needed one before Fine fun and a song collectors dream!!

Beer duty reduced!!!!

Well , I would have been quick to comment if the ill conceived beer duty escalator had been deployed So-Well done George Osborn on reducing  , even if only by a penny the suicidal tax levies that are threatening our national drink ,( the fine traditionally brewed beers ales and ciders that is , for those who think I mean tea or fizzy lager)
 Keep it up George and give the breweries and drinkers a break, here's to you!!!

2012 Irish festival at the docks

Some of the street theater girls singing at the quayside.

Belvedere session

A cozy little session today with six stalwarts in attendance.  Nice to be able to fit in a little conversation and a few anecdotes . Saying that we are here to sing and sing we did! Colin kicking of with "Drink old England dry" and Helen backing my mandolin manglings  with her Bodrhan .  we had some fine compositions from Helen and Jane and The Rose of Allendale from Colin on the second round and then a beautiful rendition of "The banks of the sweet primroses" From two Helens and a Jane . A lovely rendition with tight harmony , a haunting melody . Sooo good!!
 Jack gave us "Twa Corbies" and a good "Sailing down to old Maui" a good old whaling song .
Looking forward to next week when I think there might be a fight for seats , get there early!
The beers were good with "White monk" ; Organic's Pale and Brimstages "Trappers hat" , All good and well served by Kelly.

Ingleton Folk weekend.

The Ingleton folk weekend coming up in October is always worth a visit and the have had some great acts on in the past.
I enjoy the pub sessions best and the one at the Hill inn at Ribblehead is usually a good one with a free bus to get you to and from Ingleton! Heres a link.

http://www.ingletonfolk.co.uk/

Ned the carter.

Ned the carter.

When first I went a Carting
from the villages departing down the rough and rocky roads of Westmoreland
I'd drive me team of horses
past the rowan trees and gorses
watching  sunlight gleam on Morecambe's Silver sand .
*
You forget about your  trouble
where the curlews softly bubble near the rushes and the springs up on the tops
with the forelocks softly bobbin'
on the brows of Roan and Dobbin
and the crunching of the wheels down mountain tracks.
*
We would grind through rain and mud
down wet lanes and through the wood with me oilskin buckled tight up to me neck
while the rain ran of in courses
down the flanks of both me horses
as we splashed along beside the swollen beck.
*
In the market we stand waiting
 while the wool is sold and taken off to mills in Lancashire for ready cash
then its to the inn for drinking
With the horses bridles clinking
as they wait outside and munch their steaming mash.
*
On the sacks and bits of lumber
in the cart I lie a slumber as the fuming whiskey round me head does roam
but I lie there safely sleeping
to the waggon's gentle creaking
Cos' the tired old horses know their own way home
*

Now the carting days are gone
for the motor car has come and me horses went to pull haytiming rakes
And up against the wall
lies the cart and shafts and all
and the wheels adorn a townies cottage gates
*
Now I'm old and failing
and the lost days i'm bewailing as I think on how the old ways used to be
In my head I wander back
to the winding mountain track
with the curlews on the breezes flying free. ©mike locke


This is a song about Uncle Ned Bentham a carter/carrier from Helks in Dent. He also had the White Hart , Dents 'Lost' pub which was behind Sedgewick's memorial. There are many anecdotes about Ned and his quirky ways which will follow in the form of tall tales and ribald rhyme!

Baltic fleet songs of the sea.

Another good session with Derek giving powerful and theatrical renditions of some great songs and also some old favourites with Julia's button box accompaniments . Harry and Arthur with concertina athletics and some super versions of some familiar songs nicely arranged and delivered and a few from the "Shanty kings"
Wapping brewery's "Summer ale" was my "Beer of the Session"  the rest were excellent too ,
 Its just that they tend to get in your mouth ;-)

Belvedere session still growing.

The singers/players afternoon session is going from strength to strength and yesterday brought a room full of artists and there were some great songs sung ." Twelve good persons and true" from all around the area all anxious to contribute and have a laugh!
This is one of the best humored folk gatherings I have ever  experienced with an atmosphere of pleasant bonhomie prevailing throughout . Good beer , good company and good music . Songs from all the nations of these septic isles delivered both melodiously and with humor. What more could anybody want??

Song about the wandering harvest workers from the Dales

The scything boys.

Down from the high moors we return every year
the rake and the pitchfork the tools of our trade
We live off the land and sleep under the sky
not knowing the morn where for sleep we may lie
On hilltop or green woodland glade
*
We travel by stars and we work by the day
to work in the hayfields to bring in the crop
for the fell farmers money hard earned and hard parted
the years seasons cycles nere ending once started
ere the warm summer rain starts to drop.
*
The rich flowery crop yields in swathes to our scythes
as we sweep a fast arc laying low the sweet grass
the summer sun browns the long rows that we turn
our long wooden rakes comb the sedges and fern
We watch the dark clouds  as they pass.
*
The horses lead sleds with their trembling stacks
to  the fieldbarns dark window high in the stone  wall
The pitchforks bright tines toss the clumps of sweet hay
 the sun blazes down at the height of the day
as the raven croaks out his harsh call
*
The scampering children up tramping the moo
like dust powdered urchins will tumble and play
then  home to their beds with a bread crust or two
with their ears full of dust and their hair full of hay
While we gather our pitchforks to go.
*
Whilst we wait in a line for to sign for our pay
The farmer stands watching with long leather purse
a florin a drink and a basket of food
A couple of rabbits we shot in the wood
then away for to find work the new day

©

We survived without "Inhalers" and the H/S man hadnt been born. We were immunised against various "Poxes" by being rubbed on a cows udder at an early age.  Hmmmmm! That could account for a lot??? Ah well.

Many farm hands and drovers left the dales to come to Liverpool to find work and settled in Toxteth . My G.G Grandfather was a cowkeeper and also opened a grocery shop in Liffey St , He lived in a" Yorkshire" community in Cleveden terrace at the top of Upper Parliament st. Until he returned to Dentdale , unfortunately carrying TB which soon killed both him and his wife. He should have stayed in the Dales and kept away from the fever haunted streets and alleys , they left seven orphans who were brought back to Dentdale to the surviving relatives.

Baltic fleet shanty nights

"Trim rig and a Doxy" host this great evening and here's a link to the site ! I love this session it's great!

http://www.trimrigdoxy.com/offthestarboardbow/index.html

Songs from the near past

A Jolly shot from the summer of 06

Without the morris we are all doomed!!

Excerpt from the New City Songster

I found this recently and I remember the occasion now , Ewan Mc Coll and Peggy Seeger came to the Low wood folk club near Ambleside and Did a few numbers . Ewan sang "The Molecatcher" ;" Hello Friend" ; "The Manchester Rambler"And another couple which elude my memory , Peggy did the Derby Ram and another couple with a 5 string banjo (Does that sound right??) Anyway , I remember talking to Rab Noakes at the bar , Alas he didd'nt sing that night but we had a few songs at a little impromptu session later in the week.
 It was a great night and great memories.

Spring approaches and this misty moisty morning the blackbird was singing on my chimneypot for the first time this year. Across on the arable the partridges were skriking in the mist . they always do when its cold and frosty! I think they must have cold arses or something , or they've lost each other in the mist! no matter--- they are a bit stupid  ( but delicious!!)
Here's an interesting little link to the history street theatre guys in Liverpools fair port.

http://lovehistory.co.uk/ They did a superb play down in the Albert dock this summer on the ship and around the dock area 

Sorry about the wobbles but I was struggling for position (It was hell in there)
I had to move as a guy was standing on my foot or it would have been longer ;-)

Belvedere L.T.S. Growing

The little room in the Belvedere is becoming cosier an cosier as the following grows and the potential is becoming apparent.
There were thirteen singers yesterday --Valentines day     , and Mathew gave a song about a bunch of Valentine flowers which were ill received , never heard it before and it was sooo funny in both content and delivery, Yvonne's song about a sheep rustler of yore was a great number which I would love to learn! Perhaps she would let me have the lyrics if i'm nice to her??
Liverpool organic brewery's delicious "Stygian" was for me  , beer of the day and I had a few.
Colin gave us the " Errant apprentice" a rhyme/song which is liberally larded with clever and hilarious word play and unlikely pairings about a jealous suitor's fight with a usurping Turkish gentleman. We all have experience of that condition!!?
I tried a song lurking in the one of the murkier cupboards of my memory and with the help of the gathered congregation managed to stumble through it with clouds of dust flying about my ears!
Danny gave a couple of shanties and a Liverpool special set great singalong stuff. and John did "Here's to you my rambling boy" Very evocative!
We are going to do a little rehearsal with guitar , mandolin and whistle next week to see what breaks cover! I'm looking forward to that , I hate playing alone on the Mandy , it seems so hollow when you could have the guitar to bounce off and vice versa. Most of the stuff will probably be in 'G or 'D no surprises there Eh??
See you next week??

Baltic Fleet.

The BalticFleet sessions. ran back to back in Jan/Feb as the day changes from the last Saturday of the month to the first. I enjoyed the first Saturday and joined in with my octave mandola! the first time it has had an airing in the Baltic and I joined with Keith with his fiddle for a couple of sets. It is really a shanty session so I tried to keep it to hornpipes and nautical themed stuff , No hardship for ME as I prefer hornpipes , they are a little less diddlydee than the jigs and reels , They are OK but are a little repetitious after a while.Derek and Julia kept the singers and players rotating nicely and we had a great selection of music from all concerned.

Her's a picture of the Baltic in the 60/70's by the looks of things.