Breakfast time in the folk world! No porridge for me thanks.

Heres the "Full English"
http://www.vwml.org.uk/browse/browse-collections-full-english

Fantastic resource and its free!!!

Kathleen and May , Tall ships in the Mersey.

Thanks to Derek and Julia Batters (Trim rig and a Doxy) for the opportunity to sing shanties on the Good ship Kathleen and May in the company of Hughie Jones late of the Spinners John Coleman and Pete Hoskin of "Nine tenths below" We sailed out of Canning half tide dock and off up the Mersey to make a film about the role of shanties in the daily work of running a sailing ship . We were cheered off by the happy crowd lining the dockside and Hartley bridge as we sang "The leaving of Liverpool" and set off up the Mersey
A great ship and a great crew who showed us pretend sailors "The Ropes" in the most literal sense !! We worked hard hoisting sails an weighing the anchor and singing shanty choruses while Hughie called the verses . We were joined by Ade Edmonson who was making an episode of his series "Ade at sea" who joined in the hauling and singing with gusto!!
We were shown the finest hospitality by Cindy , the ships agent , and the Skipper ran it like a homebound tea clipper!!
A memorable day with good company , good food and the opportunity to sing shanties! Cant beat that!!

L to R Derek . Pete . John.

Hughie Jones L. Ade Edmonson R.

L to R. Mike. Derek. Pete.

My heart will go on!!

Pete and Derek.

Mike learning the ropes from  Graham (A real sailor) :)

Shanty UK.

Heres a link to a great organisation promoting the tradition of maritime music with a big song resource and festival information.
 More from "Trimrig and a Doxy" on the first Saturday (Except July 2013 when it is the second Saturday) of each month!
 A great night with great music , singing and good beer , What more diversion could anybody desire??

http://shanty.org.uk/home.html

Banjo time again!

My search for a nice tenor has been rewarded! I found a nice little example on Saturday .
Now to get back into the ways of the tenor ! I have one that I picked up in 70 and the first tune I played on it was "The Lincolnshire poacher" So when I tuned this one up and found the right plec. I played the "Poacher" again for OTS.
Its a little beauty and has a nice provenance and it has made me very happy!! Cant speak for the "Breadknife" though!! A bit apprehensive about the volume ;-)

Q---Whats the difference between a banjo and an onion?---A--- Nobody cries when you chop up a banjo#!?
I would weep if this little beauty got chopped up

 "Step away from 'D banjo!!!!"

Sellotape song from Mathew Edwards!!

Matthew Edwards I've been drinking in the Belvedere for fifty years or more,
But such a motley crew as this I've never heard before;
O indeed I haven't,
Don't you know I haven't?
To my ri falooral addie, 
O indeed I haven't!

They were resurrecting folk songs that were dead for many years,
They were boozing and carousing, and supping up strange beers. 
O indeed they were,
Don't you know they were?
To my ri falooral addie,
O indeed they were.

Now if I had some sellotape, I would stick them to the wall,
And cover up their cakeholes so they couldn't sing at all;
O indeed I would,
Don't you know I would?
To my ri falooral addie,
O indeed I would.

Sure but when they come unstuck again, they'll call loudly for more beers,
And they'll be fathoming the bowl for another fifty years;
O indeed they will,
Don't you know they will?
To my ri falooral addie,
Yes indeed they will.

Great stuff Mathew------ got to sing it now!!!!

Belvedere session assailed!!

Another good afternoon at the Belvedere! Quite a lot of humour and a visit from an outraged gentleman who was rather discommoded because he clearly regarded us as the usurpers on his territory . After upbraiding Fred , he proceeded to inform us that he had been "drinking in this pub for 50 years" !!! and then retreated to the bar--- for another 50 year stint perhaps??
It was alleged that he "Bound musical instruments in sellotape" seemingly to prevent them being played??? (This is getting very strange now) So Jim and I played a little set that I largely made up as I went along and called it the "Sellotape hornpipe" ---Well--it amused me anyway!!--- Gary declared that the name would stick ! ----- Colin logged it as "Tunes" with a wry grin :-)
 I still like the comment branding the session as "The graveyard of English folk" Quite an accolade methinks!! Although I have only been attending for a few months (49 yrs. to go) I am happy to announce the one year anniversary of the inception of this "charnel house" of folk music where I have been fortunate enough to have met some of the nicest zombies stiffs and ghouls on the folk circuit!

The Elderflower beer from Liverpool organic was a lovely refreshing libation and I would have drank more if I hadn't been laughing so much!!!

Ferrier magic!

She had a voice to make your hair rise! She sang many "Folk" songs but her perfect enunciation and timing was deemed less attractive in the folk idiom.
She went  far too soon and had a lot more to offer but what she left us is a treasure trove !
Heres "The Keel Row"

Caledonia!!!

Great stuff!! Beer has triumphed over "Mamon" for the first time in history! The celebrations look to have been great and I am sorry to have missed them but good luck to all concerned and the well orchestrated campaign that saved this great waterhole .
 The army of dissenters should be knitted together as a mobile force against an further attempts to rob us of our heritage and beer , We have already lost too much !

Belvedere session

Another great session on the 16th! Lovely harmony from Helen and Jane and some good stuff from Fred whom we have missed for a few weeks! Jim and I worked out a few instrumentals with guitar and mandolin which have potential and which I really enjoyed!!
The parking problem is a bit of a bugger as all hands have to rush in at the stroke of two and rush off on the stroke of four to elude the predatory wardens who seek to fill the councils coffers at the expense of the poor harassed citizen!
We got along fine without two Mayors all these years , now if the council is short of money dis-establish the latest new post and save all the cash required to keep this appointee and the burgeoning entourage that is developing! That or another of the legion of parasitic panjandrums that we seem to be keeping!

Why do we need highly paid consultants??? The council , after all these hundreds of years don't seem to have got the hang of it even yet!!

Anyway , It looks like the "Caledonia" issue has been passed by the holding company to the prospective purchaser sold as a going concern but apparently without commitment to its current status so the decision is now to be made by the developing company , I am told .
Remember people , "BEER BEFORE MAMMON" !!!!! The "developers" tried to murder the city in the '60s Don't let them start again!!!
In the final analysis-------You cant eat money!!!!!

The Belvedere session.

This continues to provide a nice venue for singers and players to spend a couple of hours joining in an informal sing/play around with some well researched songs on the menu from the singers present.
Good beers as always and a good selection too , Liverpool organic's Pale was the star of the show with its nice hoppy flavour and a back of the palate bitter twist in the tail !
Colin Batho is publishing a list of songs and singers at each session now and its on his facebook page , well worth checking out! Seldom the same song heard twice . Sometimes a similar song or different version !
There's always a ready prompt for those who "Dry up" It happens to us all sometimes ;-)

Helen Mirren.

It is reported that Helen was playing the queen in the Geilgud when the performance was compromised by the appearance of a  drum band giving it plenty outside . The feisty Dame did no less than (still in character as her majesty) bound down the stairs and allegedly tell the alleged offenders to "shut the 'f up and 'f off ! " Was she right or was she overstepping it?? Who knows but I would have loved to see it!!!

A bit of order there people!!

Baltic Fleet session

Another good session in the Baltic on Saturday night , Would have been more enjoyable if the crowd had given a bit of order to the performers! The musicians create the atmosphere that brings them in but the noise detracts from the enjoyment , ah well!
The last half hour brought an impromptu jam session with all players joining in with a few jigs reels and hornpipes , Great stuff! loved it!!!
Perhaps a bank of 60 watt Marshalls would solve the problem??????????

O'Hooley and Tidow

Saw them in concert last night and quite enjoyed it . Belinda is a great pianist and the Steinway mod 3 grand was a fine instrument to display her talents upon .
They do what they do very well and the harmonies are tight and well conceived with beautiful little discords and wistful minor keys dotted about like bitter cherries in a sweet trifle .
 A nice concert even though they don't believe in "Leaving them laughing" as the final encore was quite a "Thoughtful" number but there was a standing 'O from the crowd and I enjoyed the well thought out production . "Jack the lad/lass" would have been the closing number for me !

Post-diluvian problems

Its been an odd week with the flood damage restoration and stuff causing me to miss a few sessions and having to re jig things at the last minute and all that kind of stuff. Apologies to the Belvedere warblers Danny and Colin in particular for missing our appointment , Sorry lads!

Belvedere session

Another good afternoon at the Belvedere with nine warblers in attendance with the usual eclectic mix of old and contemporary songs . I like the way the songs develop a theme/thread from one to the next using either a topic or artist as the link , What a great way to get a session rolling along Colin gave us "A rosebud in June" a particular fave of mine even though I always laugh at "Jolly Jolly sheep" (Never seen one) even with the smell of mint sauce hanging heavy in the June air!! Fat oxen are a reassuring sight though! John did a song my naughty granddad taught me as a nipper , O Reilly;s daughter---He brought it and a number of other unmentionable songs back from the Somme!
Dannys "Up Camborn hill coming down" was a great blast from the past! and Jack sang us Penny Evans and Martin gave us an alternative Spencer the rover , never heard that melody line before . Jim gave us an old Ronnie Drew fave weilla waillia ?? which prompted The Auld triangle from me --Got the verses mixed up as usual but hey!! Colin did the great North wall , Great stuff.
 Trappers hat for me , a lovely hoppy number from the Brimstage brewery .

Heres a rhyme about the plight of the pi-irate bold. It was when I was watching a re-enactment of the days of the swashbuckling buccaneers I noticed health and safety tape and non slip coating on the "Plank" they were walking!

THE GOOD SHIP ELFNSAFTY

 WAS A PRIVATEER BY TRADE

SHE WAS TIED UP DOWN IN LIVERPOOL

WHILE THE CREW DRANK LEMONADE

THE WHORES AND RUNNERS FLOCKED AROUND

TO CHEER THE BUCKANEERS

BUT THEY HAS TO WEAR  DEFENDERS

TO PROTECT THEIR "LITTLE" EARS.

WE CAST OF FORE WE CAST OFF AFT

BUT THEN THERE WAS A PANIC

WHILE THE ROPES WERE CHECKED

TO SEE IF THEY WERE HYPOALLERGENIC

THEY WERE OF HEMP THE CAPTAIN SAID

WELL SEND THEM FOR A TEST

THE RIGGING TOO WILL HAVE TO GO

LIKEWISE THE BOSUN'S VEST.

TIME CAME TO BEND ON BRAND NEW SAILS

TO CATCH THE BLUSTERY BREEZE

BUT THE CREW LOOKED RATHER NOVEL

AS THEY ALL BENT AT THE KNEES

AND THEN OUR WOES COMPOUNDED

AS WE REALISED OUR PLIGHT

WE WERE'NT ALLOWED TO HOIST THE SAILS

ONE INCH ABOVE HAND HEIGHT.

WELL NEVER MIND CRIED SHANGHAI JACK

ITS TIME FOR OUR RUM RATION

BUT THEN THEY FOUND THAT BOOZING TIME

HAD LOST A LOT OF PASSION

THE SIGN UPON THE BARREL HEAD

WHICH SURELY WAS A JOKE

 READ "PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY"

AND THEY'D FILLED IT UP WITH COKE.

THE CABIN BOY WAS ALL DONE UP

IN THE BEST HI VIZ APAREL

BUT HE LOST HIS HI VIZ TROUSERS

IT WAS HIS TURN IN THE BARREL

THE CREW ALL TOOK A TICKET

AND LOITERED IN A ROW

WHILE THE LEADING HAND GOT ALCOHOL

AND SPRAYED THEM DOWN BELOW.

SO WE HEADED OFF TO RAID AROUND

THE BURNING HOT EQUATOR

WHERE THE BOSUN'S FACE GOT SCORCHED

JUST LIKE THE SKIN OF AN ALLIGATOR

THEY TIED HIM UP AND SCRUBBED HIM DOWN

TILL HE COULD'NT BE NO CLEANER

THEN LARDED HIM LIKE A ROASTED HOG

WITH A TUB OF NEUTROGENA.

WE HAD TO DISCIPLINE THE MATE

HE WAS BOUND FOR DAVY JONES

BUT THEY SAID THE GNASHING OF THE SHARKS

WAS BAD FOR BRITTLE BONES

SO WE HEADED UP TO NEWFOUNDLAND

AND REACHED THE DOGGER BANK

HE WAS SUCKED TO DEATH BY A SHOAL OF COD

WHEN HE WALKED THE NON SLIP PLANK.

THE CAPTAIN WAS A BRUTAL MAN

WHO USED TO BE A WHALER

BUT HE WAS SOON ARRESTED

 AND THEN BUSTED DOWN TO SAILOR

HE FACED THE APPEAL TRIBUNAL

AND HE COULD'NT HAVE BEEN SORRIER

BUT THEY MADE HIM SHIP AS A CABIN BOY

ABOARD THE THE RAINBOW WARRIOR.

SO WE SAILED BACK INTO PORT

WITHOUT NO SACKING RAPE OR PLUNDER

BUT THE WHORES HAD ALL BEEN CHASED AWAY

AND THE PUBS HAD ALL GONE UNDER

SO WE DONNED OUR HI-VIZ SEA BOOTS

AND WITHOUT A BACKWARDS LOOK

WE SIGNED ABOARD WITH THAT PRIVATEER

WHO'S KNOWN AS THOMAS COOK.

Baltic Shanty session.

The day of the Grand National co-incided with the first Saturday of the month and town was very lively with racegoers either celebrating or drowning their sorrows. I did not think the revelers would have found the Baltic but the place was full and there was little chance of any meaningful attempts at singing or playing as the cacophony was merciless! Quite a nice atmosphere though and a few songs got through even with Derek nursing a bad chest , Nontheless He carried it off like Bonnie Tyler in true shanty tradition with Julia's buttonbox melodies cutting through the babble.
 I enjoyed the night and will look forward to next month's "First Saturday"

Another good session

The Belvedere was very enjoyable yesterday with Nine in attendance generating 30 plus songs which was a remarkable production!! Enough for a concert methinks. Not all serious either! there were a few humorous numbers which enlivened the afternoon and a good time was had by all.

Bugger the bankers

John Doyle Mike Mc Goldrick